


Between The Devil And The Deep (Scarlet) Sea

by AutumnHobbit



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe: Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-typical language, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Not Canon-Compliant Past S2 and Civil War, Post Daredevil season 1, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Prone to long waits between chapters, Tumblr Prompt, Unreliable Narration, Very Slow-Burn, Will-they-won't-they, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-04-05 05:58:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4168569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnHobbit/pseuds/AutumnHobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Scarlet Witch, I'd like you to meet the Devil of Hell's Kitchen."</p><p>Or, the one where Wanda and Matt Murdock become besties, with all the possibilities therein.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is based completely off of an awesome tumblr post full of headcanons by murdockqueenallen which struck my muse: http://batman-the-dark-newsie.tumblr.com/
> 
> Title is from the song by XYLO, because I am artistically bankrupt.
> 
> Apologies if any information is incorrect, as I haven't actually seen Daredevil yet.

"Well, War Machine, Falcon, Vision, and Scarlet Witch, how do you all feel about taking on your first solo mission?" Steve said without preamble when he stepped into the gym Wednesday morning. 

Wanda glanced up from where she had been throwing objects with her telekinesis and met his gaze, somewhat surprised. She had been training with the Avengers for three months since her brot--- _since the incident with Ultron,_ and had already been on a couple missions: alien object retrieval, bank heist containment, HYDRA base disposal--all the usual. Still, it seemed unlike Steve to spring something like that on them early in the morning unless it was important. 

"What's it for?" Sam spoke up from the weight machine, and she glanced over at him. 

"Well," Steve stepped down from the balcony, "Fury just called me about a guy in Hell's Kitchen."

"In the city?" Vision asked. 

"Yep. There's this vigilante guy who is apparently working on street-level, above the law. Fury claims he is concerned that the man might be a 'public hazard.'"

Sam snorted. "Big words coming from Mr. _SHIELD-compromised-under-my-nose._ "

"...that being said," Steve resumed "I have to assume that he's more concerned with finding out if he has super powers, and if so what his long-term motivations are."

"In other words, he's recruiting." Rhodey said.

"Looks that way," Steve nodded.

"You'd think the guy doesn't trust us or something," Sam remarked.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't really trust anyone." Steve sighed. "So. You guys up for it?"

The group glanced at each other. Sam shrugged. "I'm game if they are."

"I'm in." Rhodey said.

"I would be glad to be of assistance," Vision replied.

That left the three of them glancing at Wanda. She sighed. "Why not?" She said nothing of how very little she felt like going out and meeting new people, let alone some American street-tough.

"So, how do we find him?" Rhodey inquired.

Steve smirked. "Judging by the newspapers, just head out there at night and wait until a crime occurs."

"So, street-clothes, then?"

"Mhm. Oh, and one more thing," Steve said as he turned to go.

"What's that?"

"Try not to piss him off."

 

***

 

That evening, Sam gathered them all at a little bit after dinner so that they would have time to make the drive from the facility down to the city. They loaded into one of the SHIELD armored SUVs and drove south. 

They got caught in traffic--probably caused by a wreck--a little ways out from the city itself. Wanda had never seen such a sea of brake lights, nearly as far as the horizon. She leaned her head against the cool window and wished she could swallow up her desolation and forget the deep, hollow absence beside her. 

Rhodey spoke up from beside her, and though she was tired of the silence, she also somewhat resented its disappearance. "I've only been to Hell's Kitchen once or twice. You guys?"

"Never." Vision said.

"'Bout the same as you, buddy," Sam said. "Clint apparently lived there once."

Wanda's ears perked up slightly at the mention of Clint. The archer hadn't been on a mission with the team in a while--on paternity leave for his son or something of the sort--but she missed him. Which was odd, since she had known him all of a few hours when her brother---saved him. "Why did he?" she asked, and then realized everyone in the truck was staring at her. "Live there, I mean."

Sam shrugged. "He grew up somewhere out west. Iowa? Illinois? Not sure. Anyway, his dad was an asshole--excuse my French--and if I remember right he somehow wound up in the circus. That's where he learned to shoot. I think he was a boxer or something in Hell's Kitchen...which by the way, is notorious for it's crime rate and ne'er do wells. So be on guard when we're there, got it?"

For some reason, Wanda bristled at that. She knew he was addressing the whole car, but she had grown up on the streets of Sokovia after her parents died. She had seen its worst, which was far worse than anyone here had to deal with. But, unlike her brother, she could keep quiet when something bothered her, so she leaned against the window again as they started moving. The wreckage had been moved out of the way, and now there was a cluster of police cars and ambulances huddled around the crash. The remains of the car was on fire, sending red sparks shooting up into the darkness. Wanda stared at it until the red flame was emblazoned in her gaze when she closed her eyes. 

 ***

They made it to Hell's Kitchen just before nine. The sun was still up, but just barely. 

Sam scanned the block before settling on a public parking garage. He drove them five stories up and parked the truck. "Anything of value gets hidden or comes with you," he said.

Wanda shrugged, unbuckling her seat belt and climbing out. She stumbled a bit when she climbed out, grateful to stretch her legs. Vision stepped beside her and glanced out at the buildings scattered all down the street. "Every time I come to the city it never ceases to fascinate me," he said softly. 

Wanda arched an eyebrow at him. Ever since her discovery that she could read him, she often would reach out and prod his mind--just a little--to see what he was thinking, since he didn't seem to mind. As she did so now, she felt a sort of nostalgia, and realized that Vision's (sort of) birthplace was the city. No wonder he felt some attachment to it. 

Sam and Rhodey joined them. Both of them were carrying their respective suits in backpacks that Stark had designed with the purpose of hiding them without hindering them. "Are we going to stay in the garage until the sun goes down?" Wanda asked.

"Nah. I'm hungry. I thought we could go find somewhere to hang out where they're not likely to question night owls."

"Going to a bar in a bad neighborhood seems a bit of a poor plan," Wanda said dryly. 

Sam shrugged. "Maybe a sports bar or something, then. I dunno. We'll see what's down there."

They climbed down the stairwell and stepped into the street. There were a few people walking down the sidewalk or sitting on benches and the like; the sunset had reduced the heat to the point that it was pleasant outside--but Wanda could see their speed picking up the further the sun went down. 

After a block or two, Sam spotted a promising bar and they followed him in. He snagged them a corner booth in the back, and soon a waitress came to take their orders. Wanda had spent most of her time staring at the menu and wishing for something from home. She wound up ordering a chicken sandwich and some type of salad. 

The light outside grew steadily darker as they ate, and by the time they were finished, it was ten-thirty...and completely dark. Sam got up, and they followed him as he paid the tab and tipped generously. The waitress in question looked grateful but glanced at them worriedly. "Are you parked a long way away?"

"No, just about a block down," Sam assured her.

"Just be mindful out there, okay? And have a nice night," she finished with a weak smile. They all promised to be careful and left.

Wanda stopped behind the others right outside the door. There were still cars on the road, the occasional roar drowning out the hum of people and neon signs. 

"Where to now?" Rhodey asked.

Sam glanced around. "If I had to bet, I say we find ourselves a nice alley and stake it out."

"Why an alley?" 

"Why not? Shady shit always happens in alleys," Sam responded. 

That may or may not have been true, but since they didn't have a better plan they found an alley a bit further into town. It was a narrow lane, tucked between a warehouse and a clinic of some kind. Wanda, who was no stranger to needing to be invisible, found an easily accessible hiding spot behind a stack of crates that sat in the corner. One by one, the group huddled behind it, settling down to wait for something to happen. Wanda herself chose a spot where she could keep an eye on the alley.

The temperature dropped a bit over the next hour--not enough to be too uncomfortable, but Wanda found herself shivering more than once. It was dark and cramped, and every now and then she could hear distant commotion; screams and crashing. The mental aura was even worse; fear, exasperation, panic, sorrow, and every other human emotion swirled throughout her mind until she drew her knees to her chest and closed her eyes and summoned her brother's voice.  _If you need an anchor, Wanda, look to me. I will always be there. Always._

 Liar.

The screech of tires drew her out of her reverie. She straightened slightly, glanced out to where a truck had just pulled in. She felt more than heard the others straightening up behind her. 

A door slammed, and a man climbed out of the front seat. Another emerged from the other side, and they went to the back of the truck and pulled open the door. The vehicle was completely full of packages of some type of powder.

"Drugs?" Rhodey whispered to Sam.

"Of some type, I guess," Sam whispered back.

"Get as much of it out and into the crates as possible," one of the men said. "The others should be here any minute."

The group froze.

"Back," Wanda hissed as softly as possible, and they all scrunched together as far behind the crates as they physically could. There was a rustling as the men took a couple crates from the top and began loading them.

There was another rumbling, and Wanda guessed it must be the men's contacts. Sure enough, she could hear snippets of conversation--and a few soft whimpers and growled orders. 

They were trading the drugs for slaves.

Wanda felt a burning rage deep in her chest, and for a moment she considered throwing the crates aside and putting the fear of God into these men. Thankfully, the thought didn't last long. Firstly, because she knew it was suicide.

And secondly, because someone beat her to it.

There was a sudden whistle of air and the thud of someone landing on the roof of the truck. The men gave a cry of surprise, and then there was one of pain.

"Run!" Wanda was stunned at the deep, intimidating tone of the order. She could hear chaos, and glanced at Sam. 

"Avengers, let's move!" he cried, and Wanda remembered why she liked him so much. She lifted her hand and threw the crates at the remaining gang members. The containers shattered when they struck from the force of her throw, sending shards of wood flying everywhere. Vision took off, flying down to where the remaining victims were fleeing and covered their escape. Rhodey's suit quickly enclosed him, and he hurried to secure the truck, while Sam went after the vigilante.

Wanda sprinted after Sam, not quite sure what she should do, only to run into a gang member who was bleeding from a laceration to his forehead and looked royally pissed off. She twirled her fingers, raising them to his head before he had a chance to react, and wove a vision of his worst fears; a vivid scene of his sentencing and imprisonment, a call for the death penalty, humiliation in prison and being at the mercy of those he had abused.

Pathetic.

She left him to revel in his fear, continuing on after Sam. The streets were deserted except for the now-distant cries of the victims, and she paused to look around. 

Suddenly, there was a concussive blast, and she shrank down as something hit her in the side. She covered her head as she faintly heard herself scream. Heat singed her back, and she could tell that although she was safe, a building had just exploded. 

When the shaking stopped, she tried to get up, but found that she couldn't. She was pinned to the ground by something heavy, and while that would usually not be a problem for her, suddenly everything felt too small and too tight and her heart was hammering against her ribs and her temples throbbed and she couldn't breathe because she was trapped again and Mama and Papa were gone and the bomb had gone off and _Pietro was gone...._

And she felt a hand grasp hers tightly. "Don't worry, we'll get you out!" 

And further behind, Sam. "Wanda!"

She could have melted from relief.

Sam reached her side, and he and the other person were straining and grunting, and suddenly the weight was gone and she felt Sam beside her, running his fingers down her side gently to check for injuries. "Are you alright?" he asked. 

"I...I think so," she squeaked out, wincing at how faint her voice was. The same hand from before carefully grasped her arm, and Sam took her other arm and they helped her up. The world spun for a moment, but she had endured worse at HYDRA's hands, and soon she could stand on her own. "What happened?"

"No idea where the bomb came from," Sam said ruefully. "Rhodey and Vision are escorting the hostages to safety."

"Good," Wanda sighed, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to calm down. "Wait. But weren't we..."

"Mhmm." Sam said. He turned to the man who had been helping him free her. Now that Wanda could study him, she saw he wore a red leather uniform that looked battered and singed. 

"Scarlet Witch, I'd like you to meet the Devil of Hell's Kitchen."


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 

For a moment, Wanda just stared at their mysterious vigilante. If she'd had her wits fully about her, she might've felt guilty for staring, but she didn't, and he didn't seem to react. Interesting.

Finally, he took a step forward and extended his right hand to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Scarlet Witch."

She reached out and hesitantly grasped his hand. His grip was firm, but gentle as he shook her hand.

Suddenly realizing that she should say something, she stammered, "Likewise. Thank you for..um...helping me."

"Oh, it's nothing. Just doing my job."  He tilted his head slightly to the side, the gesture oddly reminding her of some of the cats that had wandered the alleys back home. "I think it'd be best if we find somewhere else to have our conversation. The police are about nine blocks away and fast-approaching." Now that he mentioned it, Wanda heard the faintest sound of sirens in the distance. 

"Right," Sam agreed, pulling out his comm to send a message to the others. "Any suggestions?"

"I know a place," the Daredevil responded. "How are you with climbing?"

"Huh?"

"Just follow." He sprinted off towards the back of the alley, leaped onto a fire escape Wanda hadn't even noticed, and swung up and onto the rooftop. 

Sam sighed. He pulled a cord in his backpack, and the wings deployed. Wanda herself employed her telekinesis to levitate up. The Daredevil was already two rooftops away, so she and Sam followed him until he came to a stop on a rooftop two blocks away. The building was shorter than the buildings surrounding it, so they were somewhat concealed from sight. 

The Daredevil turned to them, only panting slightly. "So. What brings the Avengers to Hell's Kitchen?"

Sam adopted what Wanda called his counselor persona, where he practically radiated _'trust me.'_ "Well, our CO of sorts apparently caught wind of your talents and was wondering what your long-term motivations were in the superhero business, as it were."

"Ah." He dipped his head slightly. "Well, I guess I should have seen this coming," he said almost wryly. 

That phrase was probably innocent-- _of course it was, how would he know?--_ but Wanda couldn't help but tense at it. She managed to stifle it, but was shocked when she saw by the slight inclination of the Daredevil's head that he'd noticed. How..?

Back when she'd first been getting settled in with the Avengers, Steve had come and sat her down for a talk. He had explained that, though her and her brother's actions during the Battle of Sokovia had redeemed them in the Avengers eyes, there were some rules she would have to play by, and reading people's minds without their permission was not acceptable. She had grown frustrated, telling him that she couldn't switch her powers on and off that easily, though she refrained from telling him that if she could, she wouldn't be here right now.

"Then just do your best." Steve had replied. "That's all I ask."

Still, every now and again she couldn't help herself--especially when she was fascinated. And she hadn't been in a while. Besides, it was only a cautionary measure, wasn't it? He could have ulterior motives or be lying to them. Reaching out, she probed just slightly against his mind, only examining what was on the surface.

When she read a mind on the surface level, she usually got a sense of whatever emotion the person was currently experiencing, what they were seeing and hearing and thinking. When she touched his, she felt his caution but amiability, his thoughts of heading home in a few hours...

But all he saw was a slight flickering.

Mentally frowning, she pressed a bit harder, trying to decipher what he was seeing. Even going deeper, there was nothing. That meant...

It made sense, but didn't. His exceedingly good hearing. His lack of eye contact. 

The Daredevil was blind.

How the _hell_ did he fight?

Sam cleared his throat. "Wanda?" She shook her head, realizing she had been staring at the Daredevil for way longer than was expected. "Sorry. Still..shaken up, I guess."

He was looking at her, too--turning his head, at least. She swallowed hard, wondering if he'd detected her. 

Sam nodded sympathetically, then turned back to the vigilante. "Anyway, I think this is about the same treatment he gave Stark--except he came personally for that one. Guess he can't get away with that anymore--what with faking his own death and all."

The Daredevil chuckled softly. "Yeah, I can see why that would be a problem." He sighed. "Not that I don't appreciate the invite, it's just..."

"A bit overwhelming?' Sam supplied.

"A bit, yeah," he laughed. "I kind of like being a one-man operation. It's simpler that way sometimes."

Sam nodded. "I can see that. But you should consider it. It certainly helps out a lot of people. Doesn't pay too badly, either."

"I don't doubt it." There was humor in his tone. "You know, Mother Teresa once said, 'What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.'"

He took both of them in his glance. "This city _is_ my family. And it's in trouble. And not the sort of trouble that really ever goes away, either. It's the living kind of trouble. There are always going to be people who do the wrong thing--maybe because they chose it, maybe because they never had a chance to get out. And I feel sorry for them. But that doesn't mean they should be able to get away with it."

He turned his sightless gaze to a spot where the buildings let a gap of the city lights into their view. "I can help them. And I can do it in a way you guys can't. My way might not be flashy or obvious, but it's the right thing to do, and I'm going to stick to it."

Wanda could think of nothing to say, and it seemed Sam was thinking similarly because he was quiet for a while, as well. When he finally spoke, he said, "That's a damn noble goal, man. I'm just not sure you can do it alone."

Most of his face was hidden by the mask, but Wanda could see him smile, and she felt her chest tighten at the similarity to Pietro's smirk she could see there--exhaustion and self-sacrifice, but humor and self-deprecation mixed in. "That's the biggest reason I have to."

He sighed. "Anyway, if you ever really need my help, I'm on your side. You just have to call. I'm sure Mr. Fury already has my number somehow," he said wryly. "But in the meantime, the streets aren't safe. So I'm going to make them safe." The _'or-die-trying'_ wasn't said out loud, but Wanda heard it clear as day. Maybe she did listen too much.

The Daredevil did that listening move again, and said, "I'm afraid I have some pressing matters that need my attention." He reached out as easily as if he could see and clasped Sam's hand. "Pleasure meeting you, Falcon."

Sam returned the grip. "Call me Sam."

Wanda saw that little smirk return, just a hint of it. Then he turned to her, holding out his hand. "Scarlet Witch."

She grasped his hand with a newfound respect. "It's Wanda. And it has been an honor."

The smirk became full-fledged, and he turned and walked towards the edge of the roof. "Until our next alien invasion," he called back, and his voice echoed as he jumped off.


	3. Chapter 3

 

"How'd it go?" Steve asked when they pulled back into the facility at three in the morning. Sam didn't even bother to ask why Steve was still up, just collapsed on the couch beside him. He shrugged. "He doesn't want to join the Avengers--says he's content with his own little set-up. But he seems like a solid guy, and said he'd help us out if we ever needed it."

"And you believe him?" Steve pressed.

Sam nodded. "I dunno what to tell you, man. A year ago, there's no way I'd trust a guy dressed like the devil, but you learn something new every day."

Steve chuckled at that one, but glanced up at Wanda. "You didn't notice anything off?"

"About him, no." she said levelly.

Steve arched an eyebrow. "And otherwise...?"

She shrugged. "That neighborhood is...odd. There is much jumbled together there. He seemed to have it under control, but it is hard to sort out so much information at once."

Steve nodded. "Well, then, you guys better get some sleep. We'll have a bit of a later start tomorrow, but Nat wants to go over parkour."

Sam and Rhodey groaned.

***

The next morning, Wanda woke early, as she often did. For a while she simply laid in bed and gazed out at the stars glistening over the forest. Growing up in the city, she hadn't seen the stars often. Once in a while her family would take a day trip to the countryside and would go stargazing while they were there. It was one of the few fond memories she still had of them.

Pietro would have loved it here. She missed him so badly sometimes she felt she would be swallowed whole by the void inside her.

She sighed, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and pulled on her red cardigan as she wandered out into the kitchen. She blinked to try and clear her vision. She must be really tired, because it looked like the lights were on.

She stepped down the hallway quietly, reaching out with her powers carefully to see who was there. When she realized who it was, she stepped fully into view.

Colonel Fury raised a half-drunken glass of some type of alcohol to her. "You're up early," he said amiably.

"So are you," she replied warily.

"Uh huh. And not happy about it, trust me." He took another swig. "I knew I kept Stark around for some reason," he muttered into the glass.

"What do you want, Colonel Fury?" Wanda asked.

He glanced up and met her gaze with no hesitation. "I wanna know what you saw in the Daredevil's head."

"Steve would not approve," she said dryly.

"Rogers is a good man. Maybe too good. You know better: that sometimes the world isn't as black-and-white as it seems."

"And sometimes it is." she replied evenly.

"That being said..." he sighed. "I need to know if you know who he is."

She shook her head. "No. I have no idea."

"Not even a hint?"

"No."

"Hmm." Fury set his glass down. "I was hoping at least one of you newbies would be a little curious."

"His secrets are his own to tell. If you want to know them, why don't you ask him yourself? You did it for Stark, yeah?"

Fury sighed. "Yes, I did. Times have changed, though. The world is fiercer toward us now than it was before."

"I cannot say that I blame it," Wanda mumbled.

Fury shrugged. "Well, Ms. Maximoff," he glanced at the clock. "I have business to attend to. It's been nice chatting." Wanda inclined her head to him as he stood and left. 

She stepped further into the kitchen and scoffed slightly when she saw he'd left his glass sitting on the counter. "Americans," she muttered as she set the glass in the sink. 

***

A few weeks later, Pepper Potts turned up to the facility to visit and check up on everyone. 

Wanda had never met Stark's girlfriend before, and so was somewhat surprised when she was a quiet, firm woman with a kind smile and a warm heart full of good intentions. It made her feel ashamed to think that once she would have gladly robbed this woman of her best friend (or boss, or employee, or whatever he was.) She shook Pepper's hand and made an effort to smile and be polite. She could do that much.

After introductions and a tour of the facility, the Avengers returned to the kitchen for a light lunch. The talk turned to Pepper's schedule, which was so extensive it made Wanda's head hurt. 

"And after I get done here I have to head out to the city," Pepper finished.

"What's up down there?" Rhodey asked.

"Oh, there's a legal situation involving a new Stark Industries building," she sighed. "Apparently there are some tenants who aren't willing to move from the apartment building there. So I'm meeting with the law firm who contacted us on behalf of the residents. See if we can't get something worked out."

Wanda hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. "Um, Ms. Potts?"

Pepper turned to her with a smile. "It's fine if you call me Pepper, Wanda. And..?"

"Um..." Wanda played with her fingers. "Maybe I could go and talk to the law firm for you?"

When she raised her gaze, everyone was staring at her, as she'd worried. Pepper looked concerned, but not objecting. "I don't necessarily have a problem with it, but why?"  
Wanda sighed. "Well, since certain people insisted on my getting an education," she glared at Natasha, who smirked back at her, "I've been taking a few preliminary law courses. I thought it would be interesting to see how it's actually done. And if I messed up, you could just send someone else."

Pepper nodded. "That sounds resonable. Steve?"

He nodded. "My only concern is you going alone."

Wanda sighed. "It's the middle of the day, Captain. And with all due respect---I defeated Ultron myself. I can handle it."

Steve kindly refrained from saying that that was under extenuating circumstances and nodded his agreement.

***

Wanda pulled up to the small office building the SHIELD-issue SUV had directed her to at 4:15. She hopped out of the truck and locked it, turning to the small, old brown brick building that the law firm was apparently headquartered in. It didn't look much like her mental picture of these sort of proceedings. Oh well.

She went inside and wrinkled her nose slightly from the smell of must and construction supplies. She walked down a hallway and found a door with a plaque next to it. It read "Nelson & Murdock: Attorneys At Law."

She shrugged and knocked. There was rustling on the other side, a call of "Coming!' and then the door opened. Inside stood a woman, whom Wanda guessed might be a bit older than she was, with long blonde hair and grey-green eyes, which widened when she saw Wanda standing there. "Um, hi. Can I help you?"

Wanda reminded herself that she had gotten herself into this predicament and just had to make the best of it. "Yes." She extended her hand. "Wanda Maximoff. I represent Stark Industries." She couldn't help a slight laugh at that one. 

The woman accepted the shake with a curious tilt of her head. "What?"

"Nothing. I just didn't think I'd ever say that," Wanda said. 

"Yeah, I'm sure. Um, if you're here about the Stark Industries case, Fo--I mean, Mr. Nelson is in if you'd like to talk to him."

"That would be great," Wanda said, so the woman opened the door and led her in. 

"Oh, my name is Karen, by the way. Karen Page. I'm the, uh, secretary." 

"It is nice to meet you, Karen."

Karen smiled. She had a nice smile, bright and warm. "Likewise."

Karen's mind was interesting. She seemed to be an open book; caring, honest. Her thoughts were of what she should buy for supper and a slight worry about a friend. But there was a hint of something else in her mind, as well. Something dark that she was hiding. It made Wanda curious, but she didn't press further.

Karen knocked on a closed door. "Foggy? There's someone from Stark Industries here."

There was a groan. "Do I have to deal with the suits right now?"

"Foggy," Karen said sternly.

"I know, I know, coming." There was a rustling noise from inside, and then the door opened. A stocky, blond haired man leaned out, blinking slightly, and immediately looked surprised when he spotted Wanda. "Oh. Hi," he extended his hand. "Franklin Nelson. Pleasure, Ms...?"

"Maximoff." 

"Maximoff. So sorry about that, I was...expecting Stark to send someone a bit...different for this enterprise." he finished a bit lamely.

"No offense taken," she smiled. 

"Well, that's good." He returned a smile. "Um, if you'd just follow me to the conference room..."

He led her through into another room with a bright window and a table and a few chairs. He pulled out a chair for her before sitting down across the table.

"Now, my clients are concerned with the quick deadline Stark Industries has set up for removing themselves from the premises, and also with the monetary compensation."

"I understand. What would be necessary for everyone to be satisfied in coming away from this deal? I am sure Mr. Stark would be glad to negotiate a bit."

"Sure," Foggy, as she had heard Karen call him, nodded. "Part of the problem is the lack of affordable housing in this neighborhood. It'd be rather difficult for the tenants to find a new place that is the equivalent of their current space for the same price."

"I see. What would solve these problems? An extended deadline? An increase in compensation? Perhaps both, yeah?"

"Maybe. It all depends on what Mr. Stark is willing to settle with. I think maybe a conference call might help clear this up?"

Wanda agreed, and they got it arranged to call Pepper, who was still in the Avengers facility, and put her in touch with the residents. As it turned out, Tony had joined her, and while he seemed surprised at learning Wanda had volunteered to help, he cooperated well and the two parties agreed to a pushed back deadline and a promise from Tony for personal real estate assistance. 

When they disconnected the call, Wanda felt a bit encouraged at how well it had all gone. Foggy seemed to think the same way. "You know, you're a damn good lawyer," he said as he led her from the conference room. "How long have you been at it?"

"I am...not actually a lawyer," she said a bit awkwardly. "I took a few courses a month ago."

To her surprise, he laughed and held a hand up to her. "Legal newbies hi-five! Honestly we just started this firm a few months ago, my best friend and me."

Wanda accepted the hi-five with a bit of a smile. 

"So, out of curiosity, where are you from? Exchange student?"

Her smile wavered a bit. "Well..."

Just then, Karen leaned into the room. "Foggy? It's nearly quitting time, and I still haven't been able to reach Matt."

"Who is Matt?" Wanda asked.

"Oh, he's my business partner...and my idiot best friend," Foggy sighed. A very familiar emotion practically radiated off of him--a mixture of exasperation and fondness and concern.

"I hope he's alright. I mean, I know it's usually not too bad out during the day, and I suppose we would've heard by now if something had happened to him...but still." Karen sighed.

"Yeah. I suppose there aren't that many blind lawyers around here." Foggy said. 

Wanda glanced at him, mind whirling. "He is blind?" she asked.

"Yeah," Foggy said, looking taken aback by her sudden intense stare. "Why?"

She shrugged. "No reason. I have just never heard of a blind lawyer before. I suppose eyesight has little to do with ability to think and argue."

"Yep. And Matty's smart. Always has been." Wanda felt his pride for his friend, and how hard he had worked to get where he was now. It would be touching if she wasn't so concerned.

"I guess we'd better look around for him. Make sure there hasn't been any trouble," Karen said.

"Good idea." Foggy replied.

"Um," Wanda spoke up, and Foggy and Karen glanced at her. "If it is no trouble to you two, I could help you look. I do not have to be back until later."

Foggy nodded to her. "It would be much appreciated."

The three of them gathered their things and headed out, Foggy directing Karen to check a few square blocks on the other side of the neighborhood. When she had driven off, Wanda stepped up behind Foggy, checked the street, and quietly asked, "Are you sending her off because you know that he is the Daredevil and she does not?"

Foggy, to his credit, didn't whirl around to face her. He did tense up, though. "How did you know?"

"I have met him before. I am an Avenger. Plus...I can read minds," she admitted sheepishly.

Foggy turned to her. "He met the Avengers and didn't tell me? Oh," he groaned, "You were trying to recruit him, weren't you? And he said no, didn't he?"

Wanda nodded. Foggy sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Anyway, yes, I sent her off because she doesn't know. And if it weren't something really important, Matt wouldn't have disappeared in the middle of the day like this."

"If he is in trouble, I can help him out," Wanda said. When Foggy stared at her a little disbelievingly, she said, "I have telekinesis, too."

Foggy groaned and glanced towards the sky. "Why does he get all the luck?" He glanced down at her again, suddenly hopeful. "You wouldn't happen to have any friends, would you?"

"No." But she couldn't help the slight smile that showed up, despite the circumstances. "I will try and find Matt. You hold down the fort here. Oh, and you will need to tell Karen soon, because she is growing suspicious."

Foggy sighed. "I know. I do need to tell her. No more secrets between the three of us. I just hope she doesn't do anything rash and get herself indicted for murder while taking out her defense attorneys."

Wanda actually laughed at that one, and Foggy smiled as well. 

***

After Foggy had left, Wanda climbed up to the roof. Height didn't actually make a huge difference in her ability to sense emotions from a distance, but it made her feel a bit more in control.

In all honesty, she had barely gotten the time to experiment with her powers before she was thrust into using them. She had gone from a constant migraine for months of her life where she lay and couldn't even cry because she was in so much pain to suddenly sensing the emotions and thoughts of other people in her head at all hours. Pietro had helped her manage, but only since the Avengers had encouraged her to test herself had she made real progress, if only a little.

Kneeling down near the edge of the rooftop, she bowed her head and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to clear her mind. When she was quiet and still enough, she slowly, carefully released her power, until it echoed off the sides of the buildings and reverberated around in her skull. The mother stressing over an unexpected car expense, the child who lived in fear of their father, the janitor frustrated with an overtime shift, and millions more minds touched hers. 

Her temples throbbed, but she pressed out further, listening and sorting through every thought, every emotion, searching for the Daredevil's presence.

When she was sure she would hyperventilate, finally, she found the disturbance she was searching for. There was a warehouse, full of men, weapons, and explosives, preparing to stage a jailbreak. The Daredevil was there, fighting furiously. But he was vastly outnumbered. 

Wanda opened her eyes, blinking furiously as the bright light burned her. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, and rose to find the warehouse.

***

Wanda was tempted to run right in and begin fighting, but instead she went with the divide-and-conquer approach. While Daredevil fought the criminals, she went around and took over their minds, one by one, until only a dozen or so of them remained. She escaped notice by both the criminals and the Daredevil. She supposed his senses might be a bit overwhelmed at the moment. With that in mind, she steeled herself to enter the fray.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a merc she had somehow missed hurling an explosive down towards the Daredevil. She sprinted forwards, reaching out and catching the bomb, before throwing it into another room and sealing the door against it. She strained to keep the door shut. So intense was her concentration that she paid no attention to the fight still going on.

The concussive blast from the bomb went off, and Wanda barely felt herself hit the floor, her entire body burning and her brain throbbing. She shook away unconsciousness as best she could, and raised her head to see two Daredevils in the distance, staring in her direction. What little part of his face was visible wore an expression of confusion, and he was turned entirely towards her. She was cursing in her head-- _why wasn't he paying attention to fighting?--_ but then she realized. The last time they'd met, he hadn't sensed her fighting. He probably couldn't tell what he was sensing currently. He was so distracted that he didn't notice one of the criminals creeping up behind him until Wanda's hoarse warning was too late. The man raised his gun and brought it down with a loud crack across the back of Daredevil's head. He crumpled to the floor and didn't rise again.

Wanda dragged herself to her feet, grasping the remaining men's weapons and crushing them. She discarded the pieces and seized the men themselves, slamming them into crates and walls and cars until they were all soundly unconscious.

She dropped to the floor, hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. As soon as she could stand without the floor moving beneath her, she ran to the Daredevil's side.

She carefully reached out and gently probed his head with the lightest of touches, in case the injury was severe. Thankfully, it seemed to be a typical blunt force trauma. Possible concussion, but maybe not. He also had a great deal of additional minor lacerations and bruising, and probably more that she couldn't see. His mind was unaware, but he was still alive, and she was relieved.

Still, they couldn't stay in this warehouse. She had to get him out of here and patched up. The police needed to be called, and that meant they needed to disappear.

Carefully, Wanda lifted the Daredevil with her powers. Then she reached a bit deeper into his dormant mind to find out where he lived.

***

She managed to get him back to his apartment; a sparsely furnished, open floored place. She deposited him on the couch before finding a phone and calling Foggy.

"Matt?" he said immediately, and she felt guilty for giving him false hope.

"Sorry, it's Wanda. I have found him, though."

Foggy's voice dropped in volume. "How is he?"

She glanced at the prone form on the couch. "Not necessarily good, but I am guessing not as bad as he has been before. He might be concussed. A few sort of deep cuts, but nothing too serious."

There was a sigh at the other end of the phone. "You'd better call his friend Claire. She's a nurse."

Wanda shook her head, then realized she was on a phone. "I know how to deal with this sort of thing. I can take care of it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

There was a rustling sound. "Wanda Maximoff, you are full of surprises."

She smiled despite herself. "I do try."

Foggy chuckled softly on the other end. "Thank you. For doing this."

"You're welcome. I'll call you back after I've gotten him cleaned up." They disconnected the call, and Wanda sighed. Then she walked a bit further into the apartment, searching for a first aid kit. She didn't have any luck in the bathroom, and there wasn't anything in the bedroom aside from a nightstand and a bed. She finally found a well-stocked kit buried in the back of his hall closet. 

Returning to the couch, she set the kit on the floor and hesitantly reached for the mask. Sliding her fingertips beneath the edges of the leather, she carefully worked it off. His face beneath was lax in unconsciousness, and she could see the beginnings of a black eye forming. 

She gently reached beneath his head and carefully probed the spot where he'd been struck. It was swollen, but she couldn't feel any obvious breaks, which was a relief. She let her other hand drop, but quickly pulled it back when she felt something sticky on his shoulder. There was a gash there that had been hidden by the red leather. It was slowly oozing blood. 

Wanda carefully unzipped the jacket and eased his arm out of it. There was a good deal of blood soaking the sleeve, and so it took a bit of work to free his shoulder, but eventually she managed. The cut was several inches long, and deep enough that it would need stitches. She dug out a needle, then rifled around for a spool of surgical thread. She threaded the needle, and was just about to start stitching when Daredevil stirred with a soft sound of pain. She touched his mind slightly and found him still unconscious, but aware of his injuries. She sighed and got up to dig around for some painkillers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally I continue. Hope I've got Foggy and Karen down ok.


	4. Chapter 4

Awakening was always a bit scary for Matt since his accident. He could never quite shake the feeling of panic at returning to awareness and finding that everything was dark and loud and empty and he _couldn't see._ It was vulnerable and terrifying and he was always glad when it passed.

So when he felt the familiar stirrings of pain, he almost groaned at the knowledge of what was coming. He slowly rose from his fog, bracing himself for his senses to come back up again.

Except they didn't. Or they did, but everything felt odd and muffled and yet sharp and strangely distracting. He would have panicked a bit more if he'd been able to form coherent thought. He arched an eyebrow with his eyes still closed, trying to figure out what was going on without the sonar sense.

Okay, so he was cold. Sort of. He was lying somewhere...or was he standing? It was hard to tell. There was something soft beneath him, and there were fingers on his shoulder, moving deftly but gently. Also, something really smelled like whiskey. He almost felt comfortable, and he smiled slightly. Ah, life. 

At least until he felt a needle drag through his skin. Ouch. 

He finally reached out with his muffled senses and tried vaguely to make out what was going on. He recognized the couch in his apartment--and man, was he ever going to quit ending up on the damn couch after getting his ass kicked?--and there were two or three someones sitting next to him, stitching something he'd forgotten was hurt. He tried to focus on the person, but had no luck as whoever it was kept multiplying and wavering. Maybe Foggy was right, and Claire was now a mind-reader who knew by instinct when idiot vigilantes had bit the dust and needed assistance...?

The three-someones started slightly, then soothingly ran her---he was fairly certain it was a her--fingertips down his ribcage. "Daredevil? It is Wanda. You are safe. Just lie still so I don't mess these up, please."

He blinked, trying to match the voice to a name. "Scarlet Witch?" he mumbled. Wow, he was slurring badly.

There was a slight disturbance of the air as she dipped her chin. "Mmmhmm, that's me," she said brightly, and it sounded like she might be smiling. She probably had a nice smile.

He shook his head slightly, narrowing his gaze pointlessly. "I...feel kinda funny," he mumbled.

"Yes...sorry about that," Wanda sounded sheepish. "I..knew you would need painkiller but could not find anything. So I improvised."

He licked his lips, and found that they stung with the familiar burn of alcohol. "Oh."

"If you had had any real drink in here, you would have been out for longer," she grumbled mildly.

"Oh, this is fineee...." he said brightly. "It's kinda nice. I can't remember the last time I've been this cheerful."

"Maybe you should get wasted more often, then," she said, a bit taken aback. She fiddled with something on his shoulder, then said, "There. Now I just need to bandage it."

"Your accent is nice," he said without preamble.

"Um...thank you?" she replied with a chuckle. 

"I mean, really, you sound so adorable. Like a...muffin or something."

She laughed out loud. "Muffins make sounds?"

"Yep, a fluffy muffin. I can do this internet thing. Foggy would be so proud." Matt nestled back against the cushions, smiling, then frowned as something tried to niggle its way to the front of his mind. "Hmm."

"What?" Wanda asked.

He shrugged. "I just..." Suddenly he remembered the fight and tensed up. "Foggy. I forgot all about him."

Wanda sighed. "Don't worry, he's fine. And he knows you're safe."

Matt sighed. "Ah. Well that's good." He reached up to scratch his nose, which had grown strangely itchy. Probably needed to clean the darn mask again...and it was gone. His mask. 

He whipped his head in Wanda's direction. "Not to be rude, but how do you know where I live?"

He felt her face heat up, and she paused in unwrapping something--a bandage, probably. "I...um...I can read minds," she said quickly. "I do it occasionally without meaning to--but I don't do it on purpose unless it is necessary." 

"Oh."

"Anyway, I needed to get you out of the warehouse, so...I read your mind and found out where you lived." She paused, and there was no sound except her unwrapping the bandage and the rapid thump of her heart. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, you saved me and all, it's just..." he trailed off, listening to the air conditioning start up on the roof. "I'm kinda used to secrecy. And you took my mask off, so....there's that."

She was quiet, and her heartbeat was louder than ever. "I will not tell anyone."

"You mean it?"

"I swear it." There was no quickening. Nothing to indicate she was lying. Matt once again wished he could see facial expressions. He was helpless in that area, and the only things he had to judge her intentions with were her heartbeat and the altruism in her tone.

"Okay," he sighed. He really didn't have the energy to do anything about this, and since Wanda was an Avenger there was little he could do to prevent her from telling, anyway. 

She sagged down a bit as well, then crumpled the plastic wrapper from the roll of bandages. He felt her carefully wrapping the cloth around his arm. "You know how to do stitches?" he asked, because the tension was starting to bother him.

He heard her shrug, not pausing in wrapping the bandages. "My brother used to get in a lot of fights. Some of them...with the police. So."

He was silent again, because what the hell were you supposed to say to that? "I used to stitch my dad up, sometimes." he finally said. Wanda said nothing, but she was inclining her head, so he knew she was listening. "He's dead." Matt immediately flinched and shook his head. "Damn, am I drunk. I don't know why I said that."

"It's alright," Wanda said quietly, and Matt sighed. He knew it was, but he hated being pitied. _Poor Matt, losing his sight and his dad within a couple years..._  


Wanda finished wrapping the bandage, and began to tuck it in. He heard a little break in her breathing, and turned his head towards her. "Wanda?"

"He's dead, too." she said, almost inaudibly. "My...my brother is." 

It was so quiet that the thumping of their hearts seemed deafening to Matt. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

Wanda pinned the bandage in place. "So am I."

She leaned back, tossing a few wisps of her hair back as she examined her work. "Do you need a change of clothes or anything?"

He shrugged, wincing when it tugged on his shoulder. "There's a closet full of hoodies in my room. Might be better for decency's sake."

Wanda sighed. "I'll go get one."

He heard her stand up and move away, and as he turned his head towards the ceiling, he felt adrenaline fading and the alcohol taking its toll, leaving only bone-deep weariness behind. He barely heard Wanda returning. He barely felt her gently removing the leather uniform and replacing it with a hoodie and shorts. "Thank you," he whispered when he felt her finish.

Her fingers brushed his shoulder once more, and he heard her smile again. "You're welcome." 

Then she was gone, and so was he. 

***

Usually, when Matt's alarm clock went off, it was loud and demanding right next to his ear. Now, however, he heard it some distance off, the shrill tone sounding over and over. What was going on...?

Then he remembered. He was on the couch. He had been trying to stop a gang from busting Fisk out of jail. Scarlet Witch had saved him.

Somehow, it was hard to think of last night's events as real...especially when his memory was impaired by being really drunk. His head was throbbing, and he wasn't looking forward to trying to navigate with his senses. 

The front door opened, and he heard a familiar gait and heartbeat approaching, bags of groceries swinging. He sighed, sitting up carefully. "Morning, Foggy."

"Hello, Matt. How are you this fine morning?" Foggy asked far too cheerfully, setting his haul with a thump on the counter and turning to face him.

"Sore. Hungover. But alive."

"Small thanks to you. And man, you better come up with a damn good excuse to Karen next time you decide to be a no-show in the middle of the day, especially with your overly-responsible-catholic-kid thing. Unless we just tell her, which we probably should."

"I know," Matt sighed. "I just...I couldn't let Fisk get away, not after everything we've been through to get him locked up in the first place."

Foggy said nothing, and Matt knew that was his anger softening. "Look, Matt. If Wanda hadn't shown up, you would most likely be dead now. Or at least locked up."

"Yeah," Matt said a bit sheepishly. "Where is she, anyway?"

Foggy shrugged, turning back to what was most likely going to be breakfast. "She called me at around one in the morning, told me she had stitched you up. I thanked her, she said don't mention it and we hung up. By the looks of it, I think she slept here for a while before leaving. Not long, though."

Matt frowned as he ran a hand through his hair. "Slept where? I was on the couch."

Foggy sighed. "You're not gonna like this, but I'm pretty sure she slept on the floor."

"What?"

"Yep. The rug's a bit crushed in one spot. She probably went and got a hoodie and folded it up for a pillow."

He sighed. "She didn't have to do that."

Foggy shrugged. "I actually don't know much about her; there was a lot of speculation in the media when she joined the team, but no one really knows where she's from or anything. I kind of get the impression, though, that she is really not used to this."

"Yeah." Matt said. "Her accent is definitely Eastern European."

"Mmmhmm. Well, we're certainly lucky she was here at the time."

"Yeah." Matt felt a bit disappointed she'd left, though he didn't know why...what was she supposed to do, spend all night in the house of a guy she barely knew? Still, he was alright with lingering on the couch a bit longer than he usually would. 

Foggy was bustling around the kitchen, and Matt could smell eggs and bacon cooking. He groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Greasy food is a cure for hangovers. Science and shit," Foggy reminded him. He stirred the pan and stepped over to the phone. "Hey, there's a message on here." Matt heard him press the button, and suddenly Wanda's voice was speaking on the phone. "Matt? Hi, it's Wanda. I'm sorry I had to go so quickly, but I figured it would be best for me to get back before everyone else was up. Anyway, I don't know if you would be interested, but all of us would love for you to come and train with us, sometime. If you'd like to, feel free to call me back. Anyway, I'm...glad I could help you. Hope to hear from you soon. Goodbye."

The line disconnected, and Matt blinked. Even Foggy was silent, which spoke measures. Then Foggy said, " _Ohhhh._ Oh man."

"Foggy..." Matt groaned.

"Ohhh, she likes you! She totally does!" Foggy crowed, returning to his pan of greasy breakfast food. 

"So?" Matt shrugged desperately.

"So she invited you to train with the Avengers! The effing Avengers, man! Are you gonna say yes?"

"I don't know," Matt sighed.

"But they're..."

"The effing Avengers, yes, I'm aware, Foggy." Matt huffed. "I guess it just depends on whether or not I have free time."

"I will make free time if it means you make superpowered friends." Foggy said.

"I suppose I might be able to try it. I still want to hide my identity for a while. Maybe the old suit would be better for that."

"See? You're totally going to go," Foggy said, scooping a helping of food onto a plate. He gave Matt a friendly shove onto the couch. "Now, eat up."

Matt sighed, but acquiesced. 

***

Wanda wasn't sure whether she expected Matt to take her up on her offer or not. The whole thing sort of slipped her mind for a month or so as training and missions intensified. In fact, she had almost completely forgotten about it when something finally came of it.

They'd just finished a day of training. Stark had shown up again to help out with some intel they'd retrieved on the last mission, and was thus being irritating in a mildly friendly way, as he usually was around the team. "I'm ordering enough pizza to feed a small army. You guys have no proper food around here. Requests?"

"Sardines," Rhodey called from the floor next to the couch where he was sprawled out.

"Just plain old cheese," Steve said from the hall as he came in carrying a bunch of ice and hand-towels.

"How about you, Miss Scarlet?" Tony called to Wanda.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I've only had pizza once or twice."  
"WHAATT." Tony asked, shocked.

Natasha rolled her eyes at him. "Pizza isn't exactly plentiful in war-torn Eastern Europe, глупый." 

"Oh. Yeah. Well, in that case, I'll get a bit of everything. Don't you worry, by the end of tonight you will be well-acquainted with all the pizza there is," Tony declared.

Wanda and Natasha both rolled their eyes, but didn't comment further. 

Tony placed the order with much grandiosity, and when he'd finished he strode over and collapsed in the middle of the sectional, propping his feet up on the coffee table. 

"I really do love it out here," he remarked. "It's so peaceful, quiet..."

The phone rang shrilly. Tony sighed and jumped up, and walked over and picked up the phone. "Yello, you've reached Avengers control central. This is Lord Moneybags. How may I help you?"

Steve sighed long-sufferingly. 

"It's who now?" Wanda turned and glanced at Tony, who was leaning on the counter. "Daredevil? Holy shit guys, it's the Daredevil!" He increased in volume quite a bit in the last sentence, which had the rest of the team cringing. "So, what can we do for you?" There was muffled talking on the other end. "Uh huh. Uh huh. Well, that's probably more up the Capsicle's avenue. I'll get him." Tony turned from the phone. "Hey Cap! He says he wants to take y'all up on the training offer!" 

Steve looked surprised. "We made him a training offer?"

"I did. Vision, too," Wanda spoke up quietly. 

Steve shrugged. "Fine with me, I guess."  
"Okay, when would work best for you? This Thursday? Yeah, that should be fine. Oh, do you need transport? You hadn't thought of that? Yeah, well, I'll tell Happy to have the helicopter waiting at 10:00. Oh, it's no trouble at all. I'm sure you all will have lots of fun. Pleasure, I'm a huge fan of the red leather. Makes a good impression. I might have to try it sometime. Yeah, thanks." Tony hung up. "So. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen, huh?" He glanced at Wanda. "How did you meet him?"

"On a mission a couple months ago," she said simply. 

"Yep. He seems like a pretty cool guy," Sam said.

"I imagine." Tony returned to the couch. "Is he joining?"

"He said not, but you never know around here," Natasha said, dropping onto a barstool next to the island. When everyone glanced at her, she raised her hands. "And not because I have anything to do with it, guys. Sheesh."

"Wonder if he still wants to keep his secret identity," Rhodey said. 

"I dunno. It's his right. Besides, I don't think any of us grasp the concept," Steve said wryly. 

"I _AM_ Iron Man!" Sam declared dramatically.

"Come on, it was one time," Tony groaned, and everyone else laughed.

***

The team was waiting out on the tarmac when Tony's helicopter landed at 10:00 sharp Thursday morning. Matt--- _Daredevil,_ Wanda reminded herself sternly, emerged from the copter looking slightly stunned, but he rectified that quickly and got a hold of himself before walking towards them. He wasn't wearing the leather; instead he wore a cloth mask that covered his face similarly to his other one, and what looked like simple athletic gear. Had he worn that to fight crime once? It'd be useless against beatings--and bullets. She would know.

He strode over to them, pausing a few feet from the group. "Well, this seems a bit awkward," he said amiably. They all seemed to agree, silence hanging over the group as they tried to figure out who should start first.

Finally, Steve stepped forward and held out his hand. "Steve Rogers. It's nice to meet you."

Daredevil accepted the handshake. "Likewise. My best friend is a big fan."

"There seem to be a lot of those," Steve said warmly. "Look, I just wanna say that I admire what you're doing. My teammates told me about what you said when they tried to recruit you, and you're absolutely right. Your dedication to your city's impressive. Means all the more to me that you agreed to have our backs if needed."

Daredevil looked a bit stunned at that. "Um. Wow. Thank you."

Steve nodded, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder. After he'd given his approval, the rest of the team quickly followed suit. Wanda waited at the back of the group, giggling under her breath when Natasha complimented his 'spiffy under-armor Matrix suit.' When it was finally her turn, she stepped up and smiled. "It is good to see you again."

His lips curved in a warm smile. "Likewise."

She dipped her head gently and stepped aside, letting him catch up to the others, who were headed into the building. He hung back near her, though, so she took her time. "How are your friends, by the way?" she asked quietly beneath the laughter and jokes coming from the front of the group. 

"Very well. I'll tell them you said hello, if you want." he responded at an equal volume. 

"I would like that, I think," Wanda said thoughtfully. "Did you...tell Karen yet?"

Matt sighed. "Not yet." He turned a rueful smile to her. "First opportune moment. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Wanda responded easily. 

"I endeavor not to." Matt said quietly.

Wanda felt slightly guilty for bringing up what was clearly a sore subject, and was considering apologizing when Steve spoke up from the front of the group. She glanced up and saw that they'd entered the gym. "So, we were thinking about starting off with Nat doing a wrestling demonstration. That ok with everyone?"

The general consensus was agreement, with a bit of good-natured grumbling from a couple of the guys, who had been manhandled by Natasha more than once. The Widow took her place in the ring, then called, "How about it, Daredevil? I've seen the tapes. Want to have at it?"

He shrugged. "I'd be fine with going a couple rounds."

Natasha grinned and lifted the ropes so he could get in. She took a couple steps back and positioned herself carefully. "Standard rules?"

"Eh, surprise me."

The two of them circled each other, obviously sizing the other up. Normally, this sort of thing would be boring to Wanda, but now she watched Natasha intensely, waiting for her first move. 

It came quickly and unexpectedly. Natasha swung out her right fist. Wanda had seen this move before; the spy would catch her opponent under the chin, and whilst they were reeling from the uppercut she would ram her shoulder into them and flip them over.

Matt, however, had clearly dealt with this sort of thing before. He caught her fist in his, and shoved it just far enough to the left to keep it away from his face and to knock her off balance. Her wrist still in his grasp, he used her momentum to throw her forward and pull himself around her. It was enough to make Natasha stagger a few steps before turning to face Matt, who had already resumed his defensive position. Wanda could hear low sounds of amazement from a couple of the others at seeing Natasha outwitted. 

The pause took up for a few moments again. This time, Matt made the first move, leaping over Natasha in a somersault and sweeping her legs from under her while she was distracted. She hit the mat with a thud and immediately sprang back up nimbly, catching Matt by surprise and landing a punch to his nose. His neck snapped back from the impact, but he didn't give any ground, swinging even as he was distracted and landing a punch to Natasha's side. He didn't stop, either, just kept landing them; to her shoulder, side, ribcage, and more. He never missed, and he never faltered, just kept up with an intensity that was almost disturbing. So this was where the devil nickname had come from. 

Finally, when she was backed into a corner, Natasha raised a hand, panting. "I concede."

Matt immediately backed off, panting slightly himself. Natasha stayed in her corner, hands resting on her knees while she caught her breath, for a while. When she straightened, she smiled as she cracked her shoulders. "Impressive. I'm glad I'm not a criminal."

Matt smiled wryly. "Me too." 

"So, what next, Steve?" Natasha said, then turned to glance at the group, frowning. "Huh. Wonder where he went?" Wanda glanced around and realized that the Captain had disappeared. 

Natasha shrugged. "Oh well. What next?"

They elected studying the art of dodging, which mostly consisted of Sam flying around the ceiling shooting paintballs. Wanda was rubbish at this; she had made no secret of her disdain for the activity, telling Steve and Natasha that she could always simply deflect bullets with her telekinesis. They still insisted that she learn, just in case her powers ever failed her. 

By the end of that session, she had three paintballs staining her t-shirt and sore bruises beneath. Matt had dodged everything without breaking a sweat. Smart-ass. 

"Well, that was fun," Sam said cheerfully as he landed. "So, what...?"

Suddenly, the alarm went off. Wanda felt her heart skip in her chest, as it always seemed to do when that thing sounded. Maybe it resembled the air raid sirens too much. She didn't know.

"Oh boy, guess we have a mission." Natasha said. "Up to the briefing room, everyone!" They complied, with a clanging of footsteps up the metal stairs and frenzied discussion. 

When they reached the briefing room, Steve was waiting, face grim. "Hill just got a message about a HYDRA base in rural Montana. Apparently they've uncovered intel that suggests that various hallucinogenic serums have been manufactured in bulk there to be sent to Europe. We have no idea what all is in them, but it can't be good. We need to intercept them before they get sent. Suit up."

The team nodded, and most of them hurried to get ready. Wanda paused near the door. "What about Daredevil?" she asked.

Steve started. "Oh. Sorry, it'd slipped my mind completely." He turned to Matt. "It's in the middle of nowhere, so media presence isn't likely to be there. It's your call. If you'd like to go, you'd be most welcome. If not, you're free to hang out here or head back to the city."

Matt hesitated for a second, then shrugged. "I think I'll tag along. It sounds like a big job. You could probably use every set of hands you have."

Steve nodded. "Then welcome to the Avengers. Temporarily. Take off in ten minutes."

***

As was fairly typical, everything went downhill quickly.

Wanda had suspected it was too quiet from the moment they'd first landed. There was no sign of any outdoor activity, and even less mental activity outside. What atmosphere there was practically stank of foul play. But her suspicions weren't confirmed until they reached the actual walls of the facility, which were tall and made completely out of wire. 

Then there was a sudden whoosh, a loud hissing, and a cloud of something pink descended; from where she couldn't tell. And suddenly her eyes were burning with an acrid fume, her throat sore and her nose stinging. She coughed, staggering to the side and bumping into someone. She blinked furiously, and her tears burned, but it was no use.

She couldn't see.

Panic and instinct quickly took over. She ran, though she couldn't see where she was going, knowing that she would be a sitting duck in the open field leading up to the fortress. Somehow, she tripped over something, and wound up crawling along the grass because her balance was so compromised. Eventually, she came to something that felt like an alcove of some sort, so she crawled in and shielded her head as best she could. Her earpiece had become dislodged and fallen out somehow, and the fumes weren't going away. She coughed so hard she felt like her lungs were shrinking. She was paralyzed, and what if HYDRA caught her again? 

She heard someone run by, panting heavily and stopping to cough. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she shrank back further. Whoever it was was coming towards her quickly, and she threw out a burst of energy in their general direction--

"Wanda, it's me!" Matt's voice. Matt's hand on her shoulder. "I know something went off. Some sort of pressurized container. What happened?"

"Burns," she coughed. "Can't see, either."

"Ah," Matt said. The pressure of his hand on her shoulder was sympathetic. "I know how that goes."  
"How...do you stand this?" she choked between gags. 

"I don't know. You make the best with what you've got, I guess." Matt was quiet for a second. "I'm guessing this was their distraction. The rest of the team's pretty scattered, too. Cap was near the highest concentration, so he's out until the serum can heal him. We need to stop that dispenser." He paused, and she guessed he was either thinking or listening. "Can you use your telekinesis without seeing what you're doing?"  
"I don't know! I've never tried it before!" Wanda said, half-hysterically.

Matt chuckled warmly. "Well, there's a first time for everything." He grasped her hand. "I'm going to lead you out of here and to a better spot. Just keep hold of me, okay?"

She nodded, then realized he might not be able to tell. "Um, I just nodded," she stammered. 

"Okay, then," Matt said. "Off we go."

He started off slowly at first, but soon he was full out running, and by the sharp cracks Wanda guessed he was dealing with gunfire. She remembered hearing the quinjet roar overhead and feeling bullets tear their way through her brother's heart and ran faster. Finally, he slowed down helping her sink down into the grass. "The dispenser is directly above and to the right. Think you can hit it?"

Wanda pointlessly closed her eyes, concentrating, as she loosed a burst of energy from her fingertips. She knew instinctively that it hadn't worked. She tried again, and again, with the same results. "It's not working," she groaned, frustrated.

"What if you used my vision to see it? Would that work?" Matt asked. 

"I don't know, I haven't read anyone's mind since..." She nearly cried.

Matt's fingers were curling gently around hers. They felt warm and rough, but gentle. He was raising her fingers and pressing them to his temples. "Go on. Look in my head." Her fingers tensed slightly. "I trust you."

She pressed in gently, and her brain was suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of information it was receiving. As if wreathed in flame, she saw--no, felt, the air hissing from an oblong shape, perhaps fifty feet above the ground and easily three times that from her. It was far away, but not too far for her. She reached out for it with her power, curling the tendrils of her will around the valve, and crushed it. She felt it crumple and fail, and sensed the clouds dissipating. 

She slumped against something solid and warm, coughing and gasping as clean air returned. She felt a hand rubbing her back carefully, and when she blinked her teary eyes again, the first thing that she saw was Matt Murdock's head above her as he held her against his chest, arms wrapped around her comfortingly. 

"Fuck HYDRA," she whispered hoarsely, and she pressed against his chest as he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if Matt came off a bit OOC in this chapter.
> 
> Also, I am not currently planning on making Wanda and Matt an actual thing. While I am not necessarily opposed to the idea, I just prefer the idea of them being best friends for the purposes of this story. However, they're definitely going to be considering it as a possibility, so enjoy all the implied relationship if that's your cuppa.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *To the tune of "Do You Wanna Build A Snowman"*  
> DO YOU WANT SOME EXPOSITIOOOOOOOOOOON??? SOME INFORMATION BECAUSE-EMILY-IS-LAZY-AND-CAN'T-WRITE-OR-DO-PACING-WORTH-A-DARN!?!??!
> 
> *sigh*
> 
> Anyway, it took me way too long to write this and I struggled to finish it today because school starts tomorrow and I have so much work to do it's not even funny. So hopefully this doesn't suck too badly and it'll be easier for me to write the rest of it.

When Wanda had recovered enough to walk, Matt helped her limp back to try and find the others. Now that she could see--albeit a bit blearily--they had been down in a ditch that was on the other side of the treeline.

Matt cocked his head to the side as they were making their way. "No gunfire. I guess either the men left, or someone else took care of it."

Wanda shrugged. Off in the distance, she could barely see the quinjet and a few colorful blurs rushing around outside it. As they got closer, she saw Natasha directing Sam and Rhodey as they loaded up what looked to be cannisters of chemicals. When Natasha saw them coming, she left Sam and Rhodey and rushed over. "Wanda? You alright?" she called, and though she didn't touch her teammate, her eyes scanned her carefully, searching for injuries.

Wanda managed a smile. "Fine. Thanks to Daredevil, at least."

Natasha glanced at the vigilante in question. "Thanks for that," she said, and there was genuine gratitude in her voice. Matt dipped his head, acknowledging the thanks with a slight smile. "My pleasure. I take it we have custody of the chemicals?"

Natasha nodded. "Vision wasn't affected by the cloud, so he went after the HYDRA grunts. He'll be back here in ten minutes and then we're headed back to the base." Natasha nodded towards the quinjet. "You guys can go ahead and get loaded, if you want. I'll be in in a sec." The two of them nodded and headed inside.

Sam and Rhodey had placed the cannisters in a corner and had secured them upright. Steve was seated on the bench, his eyes red from the haze outside, but otherwise unharmed. He glanced up at Wanda and Matt, looking relieved. "Glad to see you two made it. Great work taking out the device. I'm not sure what we would've done if not for you two."

"Agreed," Vision said as he stepped into the quinjet, Natasha right behind him. "I confess I am curious, however. How did the chemicals have no effect on you?"

Matt shrugged, and Wanda could feel him becoming slightly stressed. "It had the respiratory affect on me, but I was trained to rely on my other senses."

"Hmm. Maybe you could give the rest of us a lesson," Steve said wryly. Matt chuckled. "There are other ways to see."

The quinjet began to rumble in advance of take-off. "Tony is apparently waiting for us," Natasha yelled back over the sound.

"Oh boy. I can't wait to hear all the science." Sam mumbled, leaning back against the wall. "Wake me when we're back."

***

Sure enough, Tony was waiting when they landed back at the base. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," He called. "You guys bring me any treats?"

"Something on the order of fifteen cannisters of various toxins," Sam replied tiredly, helping Vision wheel them down the ramp. "Have fun sciencing."

"Oh, I shall." Tony raised his eyebrows when he saw Daredevil descending from the jet with the others. "I see your playdate went well."

"Well as could be expected," Steve nodded, stopping with the others in front of Tony. Tony extended a hand. "Daredevil. It's a genuine pleasure."

Matt accepted the shake. "Likewise, Mister Stark."

"The suit is even more impressive in person," Tony said dryly, scanning him up and down. "Seems a bit easy to pierce, though. It'd be useless against bullets."

"Or shurikens, as I found out," Matt responded. "The leather offers a bit more protection, but bulletproof material would be too thick and heavy for me to maneuver in."

"Not anymore," Tony said seriously. "I can have you a suit of this thickness and weight made in a couple days. It can even look the same as the last one, if you'd like. It might not be bulletproof, but it can be slice proof."

Matt's jaw dropped a little bit. Wanda chuckled softly when she saw it. He recovered quickly, though. "Um. Wow. That's very generous of you, but I can't afford..."

"Money is of no object. We justice defenders need to stick together. Besides, I'd feel guilty sending anyone into Hell's Kitchen without some form of protection."

Matt nodded. "If you're offering...it would make a huge difference in my ability to do this daily. So...I really appreciate it."

Tony shrugged. "Least I can do, really."

Whenever Tony was around, Wanda could almost taste guilt. It seemed to follow him around in a cloud. Even when she'd first encountered him, she had seen his guilt was his greatest weakness. He was always trying to compensate for past wrongs. At first, she had drank in the feeling with a horrid glee at feeling him so small and weak. And now she wasn't ever sure if she respected him or resented him. When he was like this, it was so, _so_ hard to hate him.

"What size do you wear, though? XL? Ripped? Batman?"

Matt actually cackled at that one. It surprised Wanda, with how sudden and loud and careless it was. More surprising was the mental aura of plain old _joy_.

She had known joy once. Feeling it was strange. Early in the experimentation, and again now that her anchor was gone, she had ridden the coattails of other people's emotions; it made it simpler for her to calm down before she really lost her mind. But it was always fake, shallow. A facade.

Now she remembered, for what seemed like the first time in forever, what joy truly felt like. And she had _missed_ it.

It was silly, and made her feel like some sort of hormonal lunatic. But she felt happier just hearing the sound. She felt slightly vindicated when Tony smiled, as well. _I'm basing my degree of sanity on Tony Stark,_ she thought suddenly, and then she laughed.

She suddenly realized how quiet it was, and she glanced at the others. Everyone but Matt was staring at her, and she felt her smile falter slightly. "What...?"

"Nothing," Tony immediately said.

"Nothing." Steve repeated, but she had already read their surface thoughts without meaning to. She had never, ever laughed in their presence. Not once.

She glanced back at the others. They had all returned to their previous conversations, but she saw Natasha smiling at her. Unbidden, Hawkeye's words returned to her. What he'd said after her brother had died and he was sitting with her while she sobbed. "I told you, if you stepped out the door, you were an Avenger. We have your back. I promise."

She felt the smile return.

Tony spoke up. "Oh, forgot to say, there's fried chicken waiting for you guys inside."

"Conveniently forgot that little detail, did you?" Sam snarked.

"Yep. Help yourselves, all."

***

"So, I was just thinking," Tony said, after everyone had mostly finished eating.

"Oh no, what now?" Steve said.

"Geez, Rogers. It's nothing like that," Tony said in mock annoyance. "I was thinking, maybe it would be a good idea to exchange phone numbers. You know, just in case anything comes up."

"You guys still use phones here?" Matt asked wryly. "No super-high-tech stuff?"

"I use a phone when I must," Tony insisted indignantly. "And stop changing the subject."

Matt sighed and dug in his pocket for a moment before handing Tony his burner phone. "You still use a flip-phone?" Tony asked in disgust. "Look at this dinosaur. It's almost as old as Steve is." There was a sharp crack of laughter at that one. "This is the Indominus Rex of old technology. This is a sight to behold. We should put it in a museum."

Matt laughed. "You've made your point."

Tony programmed his number into the phone and handed it off to Steve with a remark of "Should be easy for you, Steve, the technology's hardly different." As they were passing the phone around, Matt turned to Wanda. "Do you want to put your number in, as well?"

Wanda shrugged. "I have a phone. Stark gave it to me. I don't use it much, though. Just for emergencies."

"Yeah, I get you. I was just...wondering."

Wanda arched an eyebrow. "Wondering what?"

"Wondering...if maybe you'd like to come down to Hell's Kitchen again. Sometime. I uh...I heard from Foggy that you showed a lot of promise."

"His words?" Wanda laughed.

"Both of ours," Matt smiled. "But...yeah, I was wondering if you were...maybe...interested in..."

Wanda couldn't stifle her smile as Matt continued to pause. "I think this is a bit past an appropriate silence," she remarked gently.

"Yeah, I'm...trying to figure out how to word this." Matt pursed his lips. Just as Wanda wondered if he was going to ever speak, he blurted, "I don't have a lot of friends. I kind of...in my line of work, it's dangerous. I know it's probably stupid, and will come back to haunt me, probably, but I just..." he groaned.

"Take what you can get?" Wanda offered.

"That...kind of sounds terrible, but yeah." Matt sighed.

"No, I'm the same way." Wanda responded.

"So...?" Matt hesitated.

Wanda brushed a stray lock of hair back. "I'm usually free on Friday evenings. Barring a plot to destroy the world."

Matt smiled. "Alright then." He handed her an iphone. "If you want, you can put your number in there, too."

She began typing the digits in. "What'll you tell Karen about how we met?"

"Oh, I can start with the truth, like how you saved my ass," Matt said cheerfully. Wanda's lips curved in a grin as she handed the phone back. "Or I could just tell her this week and have her never speak to me again."

Wanda glanced at him. "Are you sure it would be that bad?"

"...Maybe more like a week or so." Matt shrugged ruefully.

"So, Daredevil," Tony wandered back over with the phone. "Here's your brick back. I put us all in as our names, just to be careful."

"Thanks." Matt tucked the phone back into his pocket.

"So. You hanging out a while longer, or do you need to head back?"

Matt sighed. "I should probably go. Just in case I wind up having to head out there tonight. But this has been fun. I'm glad I could help."

Tony shook his hand. "Watch out for those dumpsters. I hear you have issues with them."

"I'll do my best," Matt said wryly. He nodded to the other Avengers. "It's been a pleasure. Until next time." With that, he turned and walked off, headed out onto the tarmac to head back to the city.

***

Wanda had finished training on Wednesday evening and was just getting out of the shower when her phone rang. She paused in toweling off her hair to check and see who it was, mildly curious. The caller id read "Matt Murdock," so she slid her thumb across the screen to accept it. "Hello?"

"Wanda, hi, it's Matt."

"Hello, Matt," she smiled. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing well, thank you. We've got a steady number of clients coming in, now, so Foggy's happy. Oh, and I told Karen."

"You did?" Wanda sat down on her bed. "What did she say?"

"She swore at me and told me I was a bad friend and didn't speak to me for a couple days, after which she came in and immediately hugged me and apologized and admitted that we all have secrets. Then Foggy came in and we all had a big cry-fest. It was great."

Wanda laughed. "It sounds like fun."

"Yeah," Matt said. "Speaking of which, Foggy was wondering if you'd be interested in coming to the city this weekend. There's a big festival for the start of Fall, and there's a fair and a parade and such. He thought it would make for a nice time off."

"It sounds nice," Wanda said, "but you may have few takers, unfortunately. Steve, Natasha, and I think possibly Clint are all gone searching for Steve's friend again. Rhodey and Sam are both home for break, so it is a bit lonely here."

"Ah. Clint?"

"Hawkeye," she said wryly. "It seems a lot of people forget about him."

"Yeah, sorry. They hardly ever talk about him, so I don't remember him much," Matt said apologetically. "Steve's friend?"

"It's top-secret," Wanda said a bit awkwardly. "I only know it because I accidentally overheard Clint and Natasha discussing it at the time. I think Clint may have had his hearing aids out, because he was...loud."

"I see." Matt was quiet for a second. "Anyway, I don't know if anyone will come, but you all are certainly welcome to."

"I'll try to be there. The only other person around is Vision. I'll ask him." She reached out mentally until she found him in his room, doing his meditation or whatever it was. _Would you like to go to the city this weekend?_ She felt him gently press back and take in all the details in her mind, and in a moment he responded, _I would be delighted to, Ms. Maximoff._

 _It's Wanda,_ she reminded him gently as she redirected herself to the phone. "He says he'd love to."

"Okay then, we'll be glad to have him," Matt said. "I didn't actually hear you saying anything, though, which is unusual for me. Telepathy?"

"Yes," Wanda said sheepishly.

"We really need to talk about how your powers work when you come," Matt laughed. "I would enjoy doing likewise," Wanda chuckled. "So, when should we meet you?"

"Let's see...things don't really start until around 10:00. So, 9:45 should be fine. And we're meeting at our office, since there's good parking and such around it."

"Very well. We will hopefully see you then. Thank you for inviting us."

"Oh, it's no trouble. Hopefully it'll be fun. See you then."

"See you. Goodbye."

"Yeah, bye." The connection clicked off.

***

Saturday morning, she and Vision arrived outside the firm at 9:45. The day was bright, clear, and cool, which made a huge difference to the neighborhood--at least in Wanda's opinion. The streets were still relatively quiet, but there were people visibly walking around. Wanda led the way into the building, and when they got to the office she only had the chance to knock once before the door opened.

"Wanda, hi! Glad you could make it," Karen said brightly. She nodded cheerfully to Vision and pulled the door a bit wider. "Come in, come in." Wanda nodded with a smile and stepped inside, lifting her head and taking a deep breath and relishing how nice it was. Karen had apparently opened up the windows, because it smelled fresh and there was a cool breeze drifting in. Foggy was there already, leaning against the table near the coffeepot and enjoying a mug full of the stuff. "Hi, Wanda. Good to see you again," he said, extending a hand.

Wanda accepted the shake, smiling. "Likewise. This is my friend, Vision," she gestured to the android, who was politely hanging back and examining the room curiously.

"Pleasure to meet you, Vision," Foggy said, shaking his hand as well. "Wow. An android. Heard you had built-in Internet access."

"I suppose that would be the simplest way to put it," Vision said.

"Cool. Does your Wifi ever conk out? Ours does it all the time. It gets old."

"I am...actually not certain," Vision said, sounding faintly surprised. "If it does, it has not yet happened."

"That's good. Oh, um, I don't know if you've been introduced to Karen yet. Karen, say hi! And quit cleaning! It's our day off!" Karen giggled and waved from behind a stack of boxes she was carrying out of the room. Vision looked interested, and with some hesitation made a very tentative wave back. "I think we're just waiting for Matt. He should be here any minute now." Foggy glanced at his watch.

"Can he walk here from his place?" Wanda asked.

"I suppose he could, but it's usually easier to just take a taxi," Foggy said. "He doesn't have a car, for....obvious reasons."

Wanda winced. "Ah. Yes."

"Anyway. That's probably him now." Wanda heard the door opening down the hall. Sure enough, Matt stepped into the room a moment later. He wore a pair of khakis and a clean, dusty blue shirt. "Hello, all," he said. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

"You can say that again, pal," Foggy said. Matt smiled in his best friend's direction, then walked over to Wanda. "Good to see you again, Wanda."

"It is good to see you, too," she said. "I'd like you to meet Vision. One of my teammates, and a friend."

"Vision," Matt shook his hand. "Good to meet you."

"Likewise, Mr. Murdock."

"Not to be rude, but I've been told you're an android. I almost couldn't tell. Your skin is very believable."

Vision smiled. "Yes, Miss Cho did her work well."

"It would seem so." Matt turned to Foggy. "When would you like us to head out?"

"Oh, in the next fifteen minutes should be fine. The parade doesn't start until 10:30." He coughed slightly. "One thing, though."

"What's that?" Matt asked, inclining his head in Foggy's direction.

"Well, it's just that...I don't know exactly how concerned you guys are. About...secret identities, that is," Foggy nodded towards Wanda, "...and Vision is a bit...conspicuous."

"I see." Vision said. He seemed to consider for a moment, then his body glowed quickly as he triggered his capabilities. A moment later, he was transformed from his usual facial structure and color to a demure looking man.

"Wow. Just...whoa." Foggy said, stunned, blinking slightly. "That was impressive."

"Thank you," Vision said humbly.

"You look vaguely familiar..." Karen said.

"Ah. Yes. Well, I've been doing some...er...research for awhile on my...predecessor, as it were," Vision said, seeming slightly shy. "Edwin Jarvis, sirs' butler when he was younger. I...it may be silly, but I view him in a similar way to how you would view a grandfather. So, I chose a human form to be close to what his familial descendants would look like."

"That's amazing," Matt said. "Although with a name like Vision, everyone will believe your parents were hippies or something."

Vision nodded. "I can see how one would reach that conclusion." He fell silent, and took on the expression he did when he was searching the web. Then he flashed again, and he wore a tie-dyed t-shirt in place of the plain polo shirt he had been wearing before.

Foggy fell backwards against the table, he was laughing so hard, and Karen did likewise. Wanda was giggling, but then she saw Matt glancing around, looking vaguely amused but obviously out of the joke. She bumped elbows with him. "He changed to tie dye."

Matt laughed as well, so she smiled.

***

When they set off, the streets were bustling. People were parking cars, emerging from buildings, and coming up from the subway, all of them carrying fold-up chairs or baskets full of food. Foggy led the way to a house on a streetcorner which was apparently owned by a relative of his. They were lucky enough to even have a small front yard with a little tree in it. There was an old, mossy bench beneath the tree. Wanda, Matt, and Vision sat down on the bench, while Foggy and Karen went further towards the house and sat on the front step.

Matt tilted his head. "Sounds like it won't be long."

He didn't talk about his abilities around other people much, Wanda noticed. She could hear music not too far away.

"I have never witnessed a parade before," Vision said. "This will be most fascinating."

Matt smiled. "It probably will. The kids at the local school usually come up with some pretty creative floats."

"This is Foggy's cousin's house?" Wanda asked.

"Yep. He's got thousands of cousins. It's kind of amazing." Matt laughed. "Christmas is pretty entertaining."

Wanda was quiet for a moment. "I've never actually celebrated Christmas," she finally said.

Matt raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"I'm Jewish," she said awkwardly. "Or, I was. Still am. I don't know."

"Ah," Matt said, wrapping his fingers around his cane. "I'm Catholic."

"A good deal of the population of my home country was, as well," Wanda said. "That was the only time I have seen anything like a parade. They had a procession for Easter. I only watched it out the window."

"Wow. That must be an interesting memory," Matt remarked.

She thought about the hundreds of people, whole families, the women in their colorful shawls and all the men carrying the large baskets full of the food to be blessed for the Easter dinner. The children would sing in the streets, and throw flowers. She had been friends with some of them. Only a couple years later, the war started, and many of them had to go into hiding. Some of them were killed in the bombings. Some moved away.

"It is," she finally said quietly.

By now the parade had started, and float after float passed by, full of store employees, giggling children who threw candy or toys or pencils towards the crowd, painted backgrounds that were set up on the trailers. They sat and smiled, and waved at some of the people on the floats. Matt sat and listened, she guessed. When the last of the floats had passed, Foggy and Karen got up and came and joined them under the tree. "What would you guys like to do now?" Foggy asked. "There's a fair of sorts set up in the town square."

"Let's go walk around for a bit," Karen suggested. "There's probably a bunch of open houses in the stores and such, as well." The others agreed, so they left the house and walked a few blocks into town.

The square was packed with people of all ages. There was music playing from somewhere, food was cooking in dozens of trucks and stalls, and there were tents set up for shopkeepers and the like. Vision decided to go with Karen and Foggy to look at an art exhibit, while Wanda stayed behind with Matt. When the others were a good distance off, she sighed a bit.

"Not used to socializing much?" Matt asked with a hint of amusement.

"Not really," Wanda said.

"Well, if you would rather not talk just let me know," he said. "What would you like to do now? Walk around? Try to find something to eat?"

"Eating sounds good," she admitted. She sighed again.

"What?" Matt asked.

"I was just wishing I could find some food from home." She shrugged. "I almost thought I could smell it, earlier."

"Maybe you did," Matt remarked. "This is New York City, after all." He paused. "Actually, I might be able to help you with that one. What does it smell like?"

She thought for a moment. "Mutton. Roasted, usually. With paprika and white pepper. Possibly goat cheese, too. And a type of sour flatbread."

"Right." Matt inhaled deeply for a moment, and stood quietly. Wanda waited. When he raised his head again, he turned in her direction and smiled. "You weren't imagining it. I smell some close by. Within a couple blocks, maybe. You wantt to go looking?"

She nodded before remembering. "Um, I nodded."

He chuckled. "No problem." He held out his arm, before adding, "If you don't mind...?"

"Of course," Wanda said, accepting the grasp and starting off across the square.

"So, food from home?" he asked after a minute of silence. Wanda supposed she must have unconsciously had some sort of adverse reaction, because he immediately said "You don't have to tell me anything if you'd rather not."

"No, it's alright," she said finally. "Sam nags me about this often. Talking about it makes it better, yeah?"

"Sounds like a therapist sort of thing," Matt nodded.

"Right." She blew out a breath. "I am from Sokovia. You know where that is?"

Matt nodded. "In Eastern Europe. Very small country bordering Belarus, the Ukraine, and Russia."

She glanced at him, impressed. "Not many people know that."

He shrugged. "In grade school there was this sister who was my teacher. Sister Frances Xaivier. Originally wanted to be a missionary. Turned out that wasn't her vocation, so she made up for it by making everyone study way more than usual about other countries and cultures." He smiled ruefully. "It actually came in handy for me, a few times."

"I see. Anyway, I was from Bohuslav. It wasn't the capitol city, but it had larger population and area than the capitol. I lived with my parents, in tiny apartment with my brother."

Matt nodded. "I know you mentioned him before."

"Right. So, my мамочка was an immigrant. Sort of. Or at least her family was not originally from Sokovia. They left Russia during the pogroms in 1904. мамочка was not alive then, but she talked about it often. Her grandmother was alive then, and it always had a sort of...effect on our family. We all...felt the weight of what had happened, if you understand." Matt nodded, looking thoughtful. Wanda continued, "My батя was a native Sokovian. His family had been there hundreds of years. He and мамочка met at a mutual friend's bar mitzvah. They married young. Pietro..and I were born when they were nineteen and twenty."

"Wow," Matt remarked. "That's an impressive family history. I bet they had a lot of interesting stories to tell."

"Yes, they did." Wanda sighed. Matt was quiet as they kept walking. Wanda really didn't want to relive what was coming, but she had started this conversation, and so she had to struggle through to the ending. "When Pietro and I were ten, there was a lot of tension. There were wars going on all across Eastern Europe, and everyone was afraid it would carry over to us. A lot of people moved away. They were the smart ones."

"I remember one night, мамочка was putting us to bed, and I asked her if we were going to die. I don't know why I thought it; nothing had really happened, and the whispering had come and gone before. мамочка responded as she always did to questions like this, 'everyone dies eventually, малышка. The only question is when and what they do until that day.'" She shrugged, face hard. "The next week, we were eating dinner in our apartment when the first shelling started. One of them hit our apartment and the floor opened up and took them both. Pietro grabbed me and pulled me under our bed. The next one hit and landed three feet from us, but didn't go off. We lay there for hours, waiting for rescue. It didn't come for a long time, because all of the people rescuing were our neighbors; normal people. None of them wanted to set it off. We had to wait for the military to come in with technicians to disarm it and get us out." She fell silent, and Matt didn't speak for a while as they kept walking. "What happened to you two? I mean, afterward."

She shrugged. "We were just another pair of orphans in a city full of them overnight. A bunch of men from the government came to us and expressed deepest sympathies or some болтовня like that. We were shuttled off to an orphanage, where the people running it were bribed to make it look nice when cameras came around. The rest of the time, they did nothing. They provided some food, but that was it. The good stuff came from other places. Pietro and I left the place often and lived on the streets. Eventually the police would always catch us and bring us back, but in between we stole and fought and were generally very bad children. Until we were seventeen. That was when HYDRA found us."

"HYDRA?" Matt asked. "That Nazi cult that was really deep in the intelligence here in the U.S.?"

"Yes," Wanda said, "although they didn't tell us that. My brother and I had been joining the riots by the people against the government. It was a well-known fact that nearly everyone in the leadership were good friends with arms dealers and cartels. That was the whole reason the bombings started; because a warring faction got wind of the fact that they had been hiding arms in the country. Anyway, we rioted. It was fun, except that it was dangerous. Sometimes we got carried away, and sometimes the police did. When they did, my brother always, always intervened. Never could stand to see someone beaten up. He did it at the wrong time, and got arrested and beaten badly. They were going to throw him in jail. Then a man comes to us in his cell. He looks nice; handsome, in clean suit, American. He tells us they are doing a refugee rehab program for a military operation. Says they want to give people here a chance to turn things around. They promise good pay. Pietro accepted. I didn't. We had a big fight about it. I went off to a friend's place and lived for a while, but eventually I worried, because even if he was mad at me, he would write. He would tell me something. So I asked around, and there was no movement program. No name for the man. No one had seen him. I hunted for a month before I found someone who delivered food. They told me they'd heard strange sounds inside the castle they were delivering it to, but they were paid to keep quiet. I sneak in there one morning." She glanced at Matt. "When I find him, he is strapped to a table, screaming, while they use some type of alien artifact on him."

"Holy shit," Matt murmured.

"I was stupid. I ran right to him. They caught me and locked me up, too. He didn't know me for a while. When he finally recognized me, he seemed relieved, but it only lasted little while. They separated us, and then they started using it on me. I start to hear things. At first, all I heard was Pietro. I scared him when I spoke in his mind for the first time," she chuckled. "But then it evolved to hearing, feeling, everything other people were. I don't know exactly how much it was, but I think when they first started I could hear everything within a ten-mile area."

There was another beat of silence. "And you were seventeen and they were doing this to you?" Matt asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"And how old are you, now?"

"I turned nineteen a few weeks ago," she admitted.

"Holy shit." Matt mumbled. There was silence again for a moment. "I'm not intending to be rude, I'm just trying to think of some response to hearing of this treatment other than hoping those sadistic bastards cook in Purgatory. And that's uncharitable."

Wanda laughed. "I do not mind."

"Good. Oh, I think we might be close to that food now. Look around and see if anything's obvious." Wanda obediently scanned the square. She gave a little cry of happiness when she saw a truck plastered with familiar cyrillic lettering. "Thank you, Matt Murdock," she said as she led him over. "один из баранины одеяло, пожалуйста."

"конечно. приятно видеть сестру," the young man in the truck said cheerfully. He called back to someone else working in the kitchen, and she almost felt like she was home again, smelling all of the foods she'd loved when she was a child.

"Smells fantastic," Matt remarked. She smiled at him. "What would you suggest?"

"What I ordered is called a mutton blanket. It is sort of like a sandwich. It is very good."

"I'll take your word for it. One, please." The boy nodded as he handed Wanda her order, wrapped neatly in brown paper just like her мамочка had done. She might have been more emotional over it if she hadn't been so hungry. She eagerly unwrapped the paper, handing the boy the money Tony had given her. She bit out of the corner, dribbling juice down her chin. Oh well. Her companion was a blind man. It didn't matter. Though she giggled with her mouth full at the thought of his expression if he could see.

Actually, maybe he already knew, because he looked amused. "Now you have to explain that to me," she said.

"Hmm?" Matt glanced at her quizzically as he accepted his food from the boy and handed over a bill.

"How you do that...thing." she gestured pointlessly with her sandwich.

"Oh." He unwrapped the paper carefully, feeling it with his fingers to get the seam. He took a bite and looked surprised. "This really is fantastic."

"Of course it is," Wanda insisted playfully. "The knowing what I am thinking thing."

"Ah." Matt swallowed before answering. "That's a long story."

***

Matt led her to an old, brick church, which seemed very quiet and secluded in spite of all the people still wandering around the streets. There was a little yard in front of the church, and a mossy wooden bench. Matt sat down, placing his cane next to his knee. Wanda sat beside him a bit shyly. "So," Matt began, folding the paper neatly on his knee. "I was born in Hell's Kitchen. Lived here all my life. You already know my dad was a boxer. I don't remember whether I told you that I was blinded in an accident."

Wanda shook her head. "No, you didn't."

"Okay. Well, I was nine, and there was a car wreck? Honestly, the accident itself is kinda blurry for me. Anyway, the most important fact is, it was a chemical spill. Those chemicals took my sight. However, as I started to adjust to being blind, I noticed that my hearing was good. Even better than it ought to be with my sight gone. I didn't know what that meant, until after my dad died."

"There was this guy. Stick. He was like me. I mean, I don't know if he was an orphan or how he was blinded, but he was blind. He saw some sort of...promise in me. For what, I don't know for sure. But he taught me how to use my senses. To build a...picture, of sorts."

"And that is how you fight?"

"Basically."

"What do you...see...right now?" Wanda asked curiously.

"Well..." Matt hesitated a moment, concentrating. "There's something about two feet tall beneath me. I know it's wooden because I can feel it and I can hear it. The same with the church. I know there are trees because I can hear the wind in their leaves. I know you're sitting beside me because the air is displaced. You're a bit shorter than you usually are. I think you're sitting cross-legged and slouching. There are a bunch of people milling around about a mile from here, and there's Italian, Sokovian, and Polish food in that corner of the square."

Wanda made a quiet sound of astonishment. She sighed. "I would ask you how you stand it, but I think I know already."

"Yeah. I...honestly that's one of the reasons I don't go to hospitals," he said tightly. "I mean, of course because of the secret identity...but also because it's loud and awful. I'm sure it's worse for you."

Wanda couldn't think of anything to say. She hesitated, then reached out and tentatively grasped Matt's hand where he had bunched up the fabric of his pants near his knee. His fingers were stiff against hers at first, but when she gently squeezed his hand he shifted and intertwined their fingers.

Even though Wanda knew people, could read them, could see through them as easily as through glass, she never quite knew how to express what she saw. She and Pietro had never needed it; they had come into existence as part of the other, and all they needed was a glance, a touch, to explain everything. She wasn't sure if she'd touched anyone since he'd left.

So she gave it to Matt, and somehow, she knew it was enough.

Matt smiled softly. "Thanks." The word was quiet, but it spoke volumes. She smiled back, hoping that even if he couldn't see it, he could at least feel it.

"Good afternoon, Matthew."

Wanda spun around and saw a man in a black robe approaching the bench. He smiled amiably at her and stopped beside them.

"Oh, hello Father Lantom," Matt said, surprised.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" the priest remarked, leaning against the brick wall of the church.

"Yes. Oh, um, this is Wanda Maximoff, an associate of mine," Matt said, gesturing to her. He glanced her direction, tilting his head slightly, "...and, maybe a friend?"

She smiled as she accepted Father Lantom's handshake. "Definitely, a friend," she said firmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few notes:  
> I based Sokovian off of several different languages. Russian is the main root, since I: a. know some Russian and b. made it one of the bordering countries of Sokovia in this. I figure that if some of the Maximoffs ancestors were Jews in Russia--and if Sokovia bordered Russia, it would make sense for them to have close to Russian accents--as many countries in that area use bits and pieces of other languages, just as English does. I also used Ukranian.
> 
> мамочка is a more familiar, friendly term of the word "mother" in Russian. The same (I think) with батя.
> 
> I made Wanda a bit uncertain of her religious foundation because I assume from the Maximoff's behavior (and the fact that they were imprisoned by HYDRA for who knows how long,) that they hadn't been practicing in a long while.
> 
> Also: pacing. I get that Wanda's probably getting to a point of trusting Matt wayyy too quickly, but I'm basing this quick development off of the idea that she knows she can trust him because she can see his mind. Matt, I have no excuse for.
> 
> один из баранины одеяло, пожалуйста.---one lamb blanket, please  
> конечно. приятно видеть сестру---of course. good to see [a] sister
> 
> And, if anyone doesn't get Vision's disguise, I'm kind of imagining him taking the form of James D'Arcy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omgoshhhhh I should have updated this a year ago. I am so sorry to anyone who was reading this. I had writer's block to end all writer's block, and I honestly *just* got hit with a burst of inspiration and wrote this out in like an hour and now it's 1:00 am, whoop dee doo.  
> Obviously, this is not necessarily going to be canon-compliant with either Civil War or Daredevil S2.  
> Gosh I hope this doesn't suck.

The evening stayed clear, but turned cold as it got late. Matt shivered a bit, even in his jacket, as he held the door at Josie's. Father Lantom had joined them for dinner, and afterwards Vision had headed back upstate, leaving Wanda, as she'd wanted to stay longer. After Father Lantom had gone home, Foggy and Karen had suggested Josie's, so here they were.

It was more crowded than Matt was used to, but they snagged a table and Josie brought out a bottle and four glasses with her usual nonchalance. Foggy took the liberty of filling the glasses. "Yours is at your nine o'clock, Matt," he said helpfully. Matt chuckled as he lifted his glass. "A toast!" Foggy declared dramatically. "To...to....damnit." He paused to think, and Wanda and Karen both giggled. "To things not sucking! For a while. That sounded better in my head."  
Matt laughed. "Sounds good to me."

"Likewise," Karen said, and Matt raised an eyebrow at her tone. She sounded happy enough, but there was just a hint of something dark in her voice.

"Cannot argue with that," Wanda said--Matt imagined her smirking from the amusement in her voice. They all clinked their glasses, and drank. Matt half-grimaced at the familiar burn of the alcohol. He heard Foggy give an incredulous laugh. "Man, didn't even flinch." His shirtsleeve made a scuffing sound as he leaned towards Wanda on the table. "Karen and I both got wasted the first time I brought her here."

 _"_ There was an _eel in the bottle,"_ Karen hissed at Wanda, eliciting a giggle from the younger girl. There was a beat of comfortable quiet at the table, each of them enjoying the peace. Matt heard Wanda swishing her drink around in her glass. "When we were in the orphanage, my brother used to steal alcohol from the adults," she said quietly. "He'd sell it in the market. Hoard the money to buy us food when they didn't give enough. If he didn't sell it, sometimes he'd keep it. I drank some of it so he wouldn't drink it all himself. He would have, if I...hadn't stopped him."

Matt swallowed hard, his good mood dissolving. He remembered being in the orphanage himself, still nursing a broken heart and all-consuming guilt over his dad. He drew in on himself when upset--which was a double-edged sword, because some nuns would respect the boy's quiet and subdued nature, while others thought he should open up. He knew it wouldn't do any good. What would he say? Any priest would tell him that his father's decision to do the right thing was not his fault, and that he wasn't to blame for anything that had happened with him. Father Lantom had told him as much since then. It didn't matter in the long run. He still didn't believe it.

Back then, Stick had been his only respite. Of course the man was rough around the edges; harsh, crude, pushy. But he was there and paying attention, and Matt drank in the interest.

Stick drank. A lot. Hard liquors, beer, whiskey. Matt sometimes drank some of it, just to prove that he could. He would down a shot in one swallow. He never let himself flinch. Never let himself gag, even if he wanted to.

(Even if all he could think of was his dad chuckling without malice, sitting quietly and flinching as he stitched him up, tired but determined.)

Stick would laugh. "You can hold your liquor, Matty, I'll give 'ya that." Matt would wish for a hair ruffle, or a pat on the shoulder that never came. "Good for you."

Foggy's voice was low when he spoke. "I'm sorry about your brother. I got the impression you two were very close."

Matt heard the slight whoosh of air as Wanda sighed, nodded. "We were," she breathed. No one else spoke, but Karen reached out and grasped Wanda's hand gently. Matt heard Wanda squeeze back slightly. Then he heard Karen pull back.

"Well, I had a lot of fun today, but I think I'd better be headed home." Karen grabbed her purse, pulled her denim jacket off her chair with a creak. "You sure you don't want to stay with me, Wanda? I have plenty of room."

"Oh, no thank you, Karen. I would hate to intrude, and I will be fine in the hotel. Really," Wanda insisted quickly.

"Well, I hope you have a nice rest of your stay. It was great to see you again." Matt heard her turn to him and Foggy. "I guess I'll see you guys on Monday."

Matt smiled up in her direction, while Foggy pushed his chair back. "I think I'll tag along, if you don't mind. No sense taking two taxis, and I'd better be heading on, as well."

"Of course." Karen said.

"Night, you two. Don't get plastered!" Foggy called over his shoulder. "No drunk driving, Matthew!" Wanda giggled, and Matt chuckled. "Same to you!" The door closed behind the two of them, and Wanda sighed contentedly. "They are good people."

Matt nodded, smiling quietly. "They are," he murmured.

"Foggy seems to be protective of Karen," she remarked easily. Matt nodded. "We both are. We met under...admittedly kind of terrible circumstances, but she's just been great. She's amazing, and a good friend. She's tough, but..." he sighed. "We like to have each other's backs, is all."

"I can understand that," Wanda said. He heard her trace her fingertip over the rim of her glass. The gentle ring was soothing. "How...um...did you meet, exactly?"

Matt laughed, a bit incredulously. "She was accused of murder. We bribed the desk sergeant to help us get clients."

Wanda choked on the swallow she'd taken from her glass. When she'd swallowed, she gasped, "Really?"

"Really," Matt said. "Can you believe that? Karen? She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Mmm." Wanda hummed. "I don't know. She might, if anyone threatened someone she cared for. She seems just as protective of you two as you are of her."

"Just one big happy family," Matt grinned, taking another drink. He sighed at the buzz of the alcohol. "This stuff is the best. For real."

Wanda laughed. "I don't think I'm even technically supposed to be in here," she said conspiratorially.

"Huh?" Matt thought for a moment, then remembered; Wanda had told him she was nineteen. "Shit. I'm an idiot."

She snorted. "The law is ridiculous, anyway. I had my first drink at three when my батя gave me a sip of his beer."

Matt smirked. "Nine, and it was whiskey."

Wanda chuckled. "You do not do anything half-through, do you?"

"No, I guess not," Matt laughed. He started to take another drink, letting his mind ease off of filtering sound for a bit. It got a bit exhausting to block some things out for long periods of time, but it was easier with breaks. He heard someone turn their fan on five blocks away, a microwave timer beeping, car horns blaring, a cop yelling at his partner to hurry up with his coffee--

"Isn't she that new Avenger?" he heard from the other side of the bar, and his hearing zeroed-in.

"Yeah. Pretty hot for a kid, isn't she?"

A snort. "Yeah. Too bad she's a mass murderer." A slurp. "Cause I'll tell 'ya, I'd have that gypsy bitc--"

Matt wasn't even aware he was moving until he was standing, fist curled on the table, barely keeping his shoulders from heaving, and there was a cool, small hand curled around his forearm, gently tugging him back. "Matt. Matthew, you can't."

He drew a deep breath in through his nose, trying desperately to calm down.

"You got a problem or somethin'?" The voice asked in a bored tone. He didn't recognize it; probably someone from out of town who was here because the other bars were full.

Wanda's voice was close to his head, but soft, calm. "It's not worth it." A pause. " _He's_ not worth it, Matt."

He stood for a moment, imagined how satisfying it would be to stride over to that dirtbag, slam his head into the table. Throw him onto the floor and kick him until he's in traction for the next few months.

Then he grabbed his jacket and his cane, and turned. "Josie, put the bill on our tab, please." His voice was even somewhat steady.

"Sure thing," Josie nodded, her voice steely. Matt turned and walked briskly to the door, and stifled a slightly-hysterical smile at the sound of Josie's steel-toed workboots clanging rapidly across the floor towards the asshat's table. He was sure the guy would have skipped town by morning.

He paused under the canopy, Wanda right beside him. He realized with a start that he was holding her hand; her grasp must have slid down to his wrist as he led her out. Her fingers were hesitant in their grip, ready to drift away if he wished.

He raised his head to look in her direction. "Why did you do that?" He asked. "Why would you just... _take_ that?"

Wanda sounded surprised. "Because I'm used to it. And as I said; there's no point."

Matt licked his lips. "You...you know that's not acceptable behavior to anyone, let alone a stranger," he says. "It's _not_."

Wanda shook her head. "No. It's not. But he is an asshole, not a criminal. If he ever becomes one, I am sure you will be waiting for him. But until then, you can't attack him. Especially not in a crowded place where others could be hurt." She swallowed hard. "And anger does not always mean you are justified in taking action."

She squeezed his hand a little with the words, as if preparing to be let go after them. Matt was too busy being shell-shocked to even think of letting go. This girl had been through so much in so short a time--and yet she let cruelty towards herself slide off her back for fear of others being hurt. She was speaking from experience, and he knew it. He was overwhelmed with sudden admiration for her--her unwillingness to be selfish, to be brash. To be a monster--a slave to a darker nature. And now that he thought about it, he realized that he'd always felt an admiration for her--her strength, her kindness, her persistence.

So he curled his fingers more tightly around hers. "Thank you," he said simply.

She glanced down to their joined hands quickly--he could hear the whip of air as she ducked her head--and then back up to him. He heard her heartrate spike, felt a bit more heat enter her cheeks. But her voice was steady and sure when she said, "You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo, I said I didn't ship them romantically.....i kinda changed my mind. Yayyyyy maybe.  
> Hit me up on tumblr if you wanna be depressed: autumnhobbit.tumblr.com


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt goes to work the following morning and he and Vision have a little chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh.my.gosh. I have not updated this in forever and I should have. I am so sorry. It's getting pretty obvious at this point that I am dragging this story out, but since I have started writing a lot more lately and gaining confidence I will try my darndest to update this more often. In the meantime, here's a chapter.

Wednesday morning dawned cool and crisp, and Matt flinched when he took his covers off, his skin prickling. He made a note to use lotion for the next few days. The transition into winter was never fun for his senses. 

He stretched carefully as he stepped out of his bedroom, hearing the faint creaks from healing skin and bone and cringing slightly at the pain radiating from a few new bruises from last night. There had been a few muggings and attempted beatdowns he'd stopped, and one of the gangs had metal pipes. The new suit helped with that, but still wasn't invulnerable.

Matt whipped up a quick egg, ate, washed his face and the like, got into his suit, and headed for the office. The city was humming with a bit more urgency due to the cold; he could hear people shivering, their teeth chattering, could smell the mustiness in their up-till-now-neglected jackets and warm clothing. He was relieved to step into the building, and sighed at how warm it was inside. 

He could hear Karen typing away at her computer, and could hear Foggy's amiable chatter. And something else, oddly familiar but just enough of a variable to get his hackles raised. He forced himself to take a deep breath and plaster on a smile as he opened the door.

"Morning Karen, Foggy."

Karen's head whipped up. "Oh, Matt! Morning! How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well, thank you. And you?" Matt replied, closing the door softly behind him.

"Eh, okay, I guess. I had to get out the thicker blankets," Karen said wryly. "Oh, the coffee's made and ready if you'd like some."

Matt stifled a groan at the hope in her voice. He loved Karen, he really did, but her coffee was abysmal even to Foggy, let alone his senses. "Thanks, Karen, but I already had mine." He smiled.

"Okay then." Matt's smile became a little more genuine at Karen's irrepressible brightness. "Don't want to mess up your circadian rhythms. If, that is," she said, a bit panicked, "they even work that way....damn." 

"It's okay." He said warmly, shaking his head. He headed for the door to his office. 

"Oh, you have a visitor, by the way," Karen spoke up from behind him, and Matt turned, confused. "Who is it?" He asked.

"Vision, surprisingly enough," Karen said. "He says he wants to talk to you." 

The wheels in Matt's head started turning. They'd talked less than a week ago. Was this about his secret identity? Wanda had introduced him to the other Avengers as a friend she had met on her trip to New York a few months back, but in private had painted him as an attorney acquaintance of Daredevil's. He had almost lost himself at Josie's the other night. Had Wanda told Vision, and was Vision concerned? Nervousness churning in his stomach, Matt stepped into his office, and closed the door with a click behind him. So far as he could tell, Vision was sitting politely in the chair reserved for visitors. Upon Matt's entry, he raised his head.

"Ah, Mr. Murdock. Good morning. I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Oh no," Matt said, taking a step further in. "I was...just going to work on sorting case files, anyway." Matt swallowed. "Is there a...reason for your visit? Is Wanda okay? And the rest of your teammates, too?" He tacked on, cursing himself for the fact that it sounded like an afterthought.   
  


"Wanda is fine, as are the rest of our teammates." Vision said, and Matt breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "The reason for my visit does, however, involve Ms. Maximoff."

Matt swallowed. "Okay." Against his better judgement, he crossed the room the rest of the way and took a seat, turning his gaze (as well as he could tell), towards Vision. 

"You will have to forgive me if I go about this the wrong way," Vision said, sounding truly apologetic. "The subject matter I need to address is somewhat foreign to me. All of my knowledge on the subject has come from the Internet, and unfortunately I was forced to filter out quite a lot of crude content, which may have compromised my meaning. I will try to be brief." His voice turned serious--and, Matt noted with surprise, vaguely threatening. "I believe you know that Ms. Maximoff has no family remaining in the world outside of the Avengers. Therefore I find it my duty--perhaps in Mr. Barton's or Captain Rogers' absence--to warn you that I at the very least will take any harm to Ms. Maximoff as a personal offense worthy of rebuttal. She is a kind-hearted girl who has already suffered much in her short lifespan. Any unnecessary addition to that pain will not be received well by myself or by my teammates."

Matt blinked, dumbfounded. "Um. Um." He swallowed, tilted his head to the side quizzically. "Vision. Was that a. A shovel talk?"

"I believe that is the term the Internet used. I did not fully understand why a shovel was relevant to the conversation. But yes, this is a warning."

Matt nodded, pursing his lips. "I...believe I understand your meaning. But...why?"

Vision sounded vaguely uncomfortable. "Ms. Maximoff and I received our abilities from similar sources. I, too, possess the ability to read minds. It is comforting sometimes for us to allow the other to freely use our abilities because we know it will not hurt either of us. However, this also allows me to see her mood and some of her residual thoughts. She is quite enamored with you." 

Matt's mind was going in circles. Wanda...liked him? Like, _like liked_ him? Matt could practically hear Foggy giggling already, and he shook his head with a stifled groan. Oh, Foggy did _not_ need to hear about this. "I...I don't...."

"Mr. Murdock, I do not believe it is my business to tell you how to deal with this situation." Vision said. "The age difference between you is not as large as some would think and statistically it is quite possible for a relationship between two people of a seven or more year age difference to succeed. However I will remind you that Ms. Maximoff is a young girl who only recently escaped inhuman conditions and was reacquainted with standard society. She needs and deserves many things, including kindness and understanding of who she is and what she is capable of. What she does not need is someone who will break her heart or impregnate her and leave her. My research on your faith tells me that you are bound by your vows to God not to harm another person, especially not in that matter, and from what I know and have seen of you, Mr. Murdock, you seem to be a man of deep faith and strong moral standard. However, I thought it best to inform you, nonetheless." 

Matt was pretty sure his jaw had dropped somewhere around statistics on age differences in relationships, and he'd been about to sputter incredulously around the wedlock part of the discussion, but now he closed his mouth in a mix between warmth and embarrassment, considering Vision's compliment on his character. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I seem to be taking this badly, I just...this is all very sudden." He finally said awkwardly.

 _Liar,_ the voice in his head said. _You heard her heartbeat. You heard her voice. You knew what she was feeling._

And he hadn't known how to react to it _then_ , either. "I. Um. How do I even begin to address this?" he asked the ceiling. He could almost imagine God grinning and shrugging. Vision just sat patiently. His lack of a heartbeat made Matt feel lost, exposed. "I. I think Wanda is an incredibly strong, kind person. I admire her for being so devoted to helping people, especially after what was done to her." He hesitated. "...I don't know if I feel...that way towards her, or if I ever could one day." Vision's fingers twitched, making a rasping, yet somehow ringing metallic sound. "But regardless, I would try my hardest to avoid hurting her, and if I ever did I would apologize, ask her forgiveness, and try to make it right." He shrugged, feeling out of place and more than a little silly. Although...he found that he meant every word he said. "And you're right. My faith is very straightforward on how we are not to treat other people. Unfortunately, I...haven't always followed it in my relationships." He swallowed hard, thinking of Elektra, of her smooth, soft skin and expensive perfume. Of her grasp which seemed to spark fire beneath her fingers when she grabbed his wrist or his chin. Of how he came to see that touch as tainted, poisonous, even if a small, dark, shameful bit of him still craved it. "But I mean to follow it from here on out." 

There was silence in the office for a long while except for the constant white noise humming in the background. Karen was rifling through files in the office, Foggy was spreading cream cheese onto a bagel. The lady in the accountant's office next door was trimming her fingernails while another woman scooted her chair back and forth as she filled out paperwork. Someone out front dropped their keys, their teeth chattering. When Vision spoke, it startled Matt so much he almost jumped. 

"I am relieved to hear that, Mr. Murdock." Vision stood. "Again, thank you for allowing me to speak with you."

"Of course," Matt nodded, cursing his fair complexion and how red and inflamed his cheeks became the instant he was embarrassed. He followed a step behind Vision as the android left the office. 

"I wish the three of you a pleasant day," Vision nodded politely towards Karen, who'd glanced up from her laptop, and Foggy, who'd leaned out of his office to see what was up.

"Thanks, you too," Karen said, a smile in her voice. 

"Tell the Avengers we said hi!" Foggy said.

"I will gladly do so." Vision said warmly. "Good day." The door gently clicked closed. 

Matt heard Karen and Foggy's heads immediately snap towards him. He groaned. "You shouldn't do that. You'll strain your necks," he said, exasperated.

"Well? What'd he want to talk about?" Karen asked expectantly.

"Nothing important," Matt said.

"I dunno, buddy, you're pretty red for 'nothing important.'" Foggy pointed out. 

"It doesn't have to do with....the devil, does it?" Karen asked worriedly. "Did they find out?"

"No, they didn't find out," Matt sighed. "Though it wouldn't surprise me at all if Vision knew. That guy scares me sometimes." 

"Well then, what did he want to talk to you about?" Foggy asked borderline-peevishly, and Matt grimaced. "It's...kind of a personal matter, Foggy. Nothing's wrong," he quickly amended when he heard his friend's heartbeat pick up, "but I need to do some hard thinking over the next few weeks, is all. About the...situation he made me aware of."

Karen and Foggy were silent for what seemed like a long while after Matt finished talking, and he cursed interiorly and tried his best not to squirm under the weight of tension he could feel in the room.

"You know you can talk to us about this sort of thing, Matt," Karen said sympathetically, and Matt didn't have to force a smile. "I really appreciate having you two to watch my back, but really, it's fine. It's just something I'm gonna have to sort out in my own head, is all."

Foggy dipped his chin, and Karen let out a quiet breath. "If you're sure..." she said hesitantly, and Matt nodded resolutely.

"Absolutely. Now, what have we gotten in this morning?" He tried his best to focus on the list of various complaints against landlords and CPS cases and not to think on what Vision had said. Wanda liked him. He liked her too, but did he like her in that way? Could he ever do so? And if he did...could he possibly be stable or responsible enough to stand by her and not drag her down to his level?


End file.
